298
THE ENVIRONMENT
The department has overall responsibility for protecting wildlife and vegetation through- out Hong Kong. The Forests and Countryside Ordinance provides for the general protec- tion and management of vegetation, and special protection is given to certain plants, including native camellias, magnolias, orchids, azaleas and the Chinese New Year Flower.
The Wild Animals Protection Ordinance prohibits hunting wild animals and restricts the entry of unauthorised members of the public into two important wildlife habitats, the Mai Po Marshes and the Yim Tso Ha Egretry.
Overall enforcement of the ordinances is carried out by nature wardens and park wardens. These officers also provide information at visitor centres and escort groups on guided visits. In addition to general conservation of the countryside, Hong Kong has adopted the concept of identifying and conserving sites of special scientific interest to ecologists, such as a site where a rare tree or a rare species of butterfly can be found. More than 46 sites have been identified for future conservation action.
Wastes: Provision of Facilities and Services
The Environmental Protection Department is responsible for the development of cost- effective and environmentally acceptable programmes for the management of liquid and solid wastes, including animal waste and sludges. The Urban Services and Regional Services Departments are responsible for the collection of household wastes in their respective areas. Over the years, the government has made a major investment in facilities for the collection, treatment and disposal of wastes, and this programme continued in 1987. A major feature is the provision of sewage treatment and disposal facilities throughout the territory by the Civil Engineering Services Department and the Territory Development Department. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department operates these facilities. The overall intention in their planning and design is to match discharges to the assimilative capacity of receiving waters.
The principal sewage treatment works providing biological treatment are in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Shek Wu Hui, Sai Kung and Yuen Long, with seven smaller plants at Hei Ling Chau, Shek Pik, Tung Tau, Stanley Fort, Ah Kung Kok, Sha Tau Kok and Mui Wo. Primary treatment to remove solid material is employed at Cheung Chau, and screening plants are provided at other locations. In the current 10-year sewage treatment and disposal programme, priority is given to extensions of the existing works in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Shek Wu Hui and Yuen Long, to cope with increases in population.
Principal achievements in the provision of municipal sewage treatment and disposal facilities during the year have been the completion of the Wan Chai (west) screening plant, Kwun Tong screening plant and the Central submarine outfall, in Victoria Harbour; the Junk Bay sewage treatment works; and Mui Wo sewage treatment works on Lantau Island. Several sewage disposal projects began during the year. They include screening plants at North Point and Wan Chai (east), a submarine outfall at To Kwa Wan, and a sewage treatment works at Sha Tau Kok. Several other sewage disposal works are under construction in various parts of the territory. The major ones are Sham Shui Po screening plant, Sai Kung sewage treatment works, Pillar Point sewage treatment works stage II, and Tsing Yi sewage treatment works.
In addition to construction work, the government is carrying out a number of investigations and design studies to ensure that future provision of sewage treatment and disposal facilities is adequate for Hong Kong's ever-growing needs.
One such investigation is examining the sewage pollution problems of East Kowloon (Kwun Tong and Wong Tai Sin), and will lead to development of a sewerage master plan