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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Disasters & Emergencies

Taichung Clears Over 50 Tons of Typhoon Debris After Four-Day Garbage Pileup

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Taichung residents faced a four-day wait for garbage collection after Typhoon Bavi, leading to overflowing waste.
  • The Environmental Protection Bureau stated that sanitation workers cleared 8.88 metric tons of typhoon debris and 49.29 metric tons of branches.
  • The bureau emphasized that cleaning crews worked continuously, clearing roads and side ditches, and adjusting schedules for future typhoons.

Residents in Taichung experienced significant inconvenience as garbage collection was delayed for four days following Typhoon Bavi. The typhoon, which caused work and school suspensions starting Friday evening, coincided with the sanitation workers' scheduled day off on Sunday, leaving many households with overflowing waste.

One resident from the Beitun district expressed frustration, stating, "Finally heard the garbage truck music in the community today," after four days of accumulating trash. While acknowledging the hard work of sanitation staff, the resident questioned why Taichung couldn't arrange overtime collection, unlike Taipei and New Taipei City.

Finally heard the garbage truck music in the community today.

— Mr. Wu, a residentExpressing relief after a four-day wait for garbage collection.

The Environmental Protection Bureau, however, clarified that cleaning crews had been working continuously. They reported clearing 8.88 metric tons of typhoon debris from roads and 49.29 metric tons of fallen branches. Additionally, 1.6 metric tons of silt were removed from side ditches. The bureau assured that regular household waste collection resumed on Monday according to the usual schedule and routes.

Officials highlighted that Taichung generates an average of 1,800 to 2,000 metric tons of household waste daily. During typhoons, the volume increases significantly, with sanitation workers handling over a kilogram per person, making their work extremely demanding. The bureau pledged to coordinate with the Department of Transportation to adjust waste collection, traffic, and public transport arrangements during future disaster response scenarios.

Understand the sanitation workers' hard work, but why can't we arrange overtime collection like Taipei and New Taipei City?

— Mr. Wu, a residentQuestioning the lack of overtime garbage collection during the typhoon.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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