Days of torrential rain in Pingtung, Taiwan, have flooded farmland and low-lying villages, and the county government is calling on the central government and the Legislative Yuan to stop cutting flood-control funding — bad news for the farmers affected.

• Pingtung County Magistrate Chou Chun-mi criticised the Legislative Yuan at the disaster site for cutting even the funding for site inspections, drawing applause from farmers present.
• Premier Cho Jung-tai had said the day before that budget cuts had forced him to shorten his itinerary, prompting questions from opposition legislators.
• More than 1,300 millimetres of rain fell in mountain areas over five days — more than half a year's worth — far beyond what the flood-control design of the Linluo drainage system can handle.
• The county government denied that the works were shoddily built, stressing that emergency repairs are under way and that contracts for emergency works are to be tendered in early September.
• Linbian, Jiadong, Donggang, Nanzhou and other townships are still waiting on flood-control works and funding.

Outlook: The budget battle between the central government and the Legislative Yuan will not end any time soon, and progress on Pingtung's flood-control works will depend on how the budget fares next.