Drought-hit Taiwan plans more water curbs for chip hubs

FILE PHOTO: People take photos on the exposed riverbed of Taiwan's Touqian river, a main water source for Hsinchu Science Park where major semiconductor companies are based, in Hsinchu, Taiwan during an island-wide drought, March 12, 2021. Picture taken March 12, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang

TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan will tighten curbs on the use of water from June 1 in the major chip making hubs of Hsinchu and Taichung as it battles an islandwide drought, if there is no significant rainfall by then, the government said on Wednesday.

Describing the drought as the worst in the island's history, the economy ministry said in the absence of rain it would raise the drought alert level to its highest, requiring companies in the two science parks to cut water consumption by 17%.