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Planning, Land and Infrastructure
Project Cost Management
The bureau established a Project Cost Management Office in June to achieve better cost management for public works. The office will undertake a comprehensive review of requirements and works policies, project-by-project scrutiny of cost estimates, and enhancement of project management.
Drainage Services
The Drainage Services Department manages about 2,749km of drains and watercourses. To reduce flooding risks, it carries out various flood prevention projects. In 2016, the department undertook the planning, design and construction of flood prevention works at a total estimated cost of about $12.7 billion.
In the New Territories, the department had constructed about 102.5km of trained rivers, 25.4km of stormwater drains and 27 village floodwater pumping schemes over the years. It undertook the planning, design and construction of improvement works to 15.6km of rivers and 9.4km of stormwater drains in the northern and northwestern New Territories in 2016 to cater for local developments and address probable effects of climate change.
The department is implementing phase 2 of the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme and Kai Tak River Improvement Works. These projects, when completed in 2017 and 2018 respectively, will further reduce the risk of flooding in those areas. The department applies to the Kai Tak River Improvement Works a concept of revitalising water bodies to promote greening, beautification and water friendliness to turn the drainage facility into a green river corridor in addition to preventing floods.
The department inspects, de-silts and repairs drainage systems regularly. In 2016, it inspected about 2,183km and de-silted about 686km of drains and watercourses at a cost of about $120 million.
Slope Safety
The CEDD improves slope safety by adopting better standards and technology, ensuring all new man-made slopes meet safety standards, improving the safety of existing man-made slopes, and mitigating natural terrain landslide risks. The department also issues landslip warnings and provides information, education and community advisory services on slope safety.
Under a long-term Landslip Prevention and Mitigation Programme, the department spent about $1.3 billion in 2016 to upgrade 165 substandard government man-made slopes and to mitigate the landslide risk of 49 natural hillside catchments, all landscaped to blend in with their surroundings. It also conducted safety screening studies on 102 private man-made slopes.
Water Supplies
Water from Guangdong
Since 1965, Hong Kong has been receiving raw water from the Dongjiang, now the city's major source of raw water. The Dongjiang agreement maintains flexibility in the daily supply rate,
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