marily demolished. The survey revealed that there were some 16,000 rooftop huts occupied by about 64,000 persons.
110. It was then necessary to establish a new Rooftop Squatter Prevention Section with a large number of patrols to visit each rooftop at least once a week in order to prevent new huts from being erected. These patrols were organized on the same basis as those of the Squatter Control Section and the patrolling officers were given instructions to take measures to reduce so far as possible the danger of fire and the sanitary nuisance on the more crowded rooftops. The fire risk may be reduced by the resiting of closely packed huts or by advice on such matters as the storage of fuel and the siting of cooking stoves. The sanitary conditions can be improved by advice on the importance of removing waste and garbage and of keeping drainage channels clear. If any major sanitary nuisances are discovered they are reported to the Urban Services Department for action but by constant advice the patrolling officers have found it possible to make the squatters more conscious of the need to keep rooftops clean and to prevent the accumulation of large quantities of refuse, both for their own sakes and also to reduce complaints from the occupants of the floors below.
111. Despite the fact that patrols visit each rooftop once a week constant attempts are still being made to build new huts, attempts which can only result in the issue of a demolition order on the next visit of the patrols to the rooftops on which these new huts may have been erected. By the end of the year the total number of new huts or extensions to old huts which had been demolished since the setting up of the patrol system in the latter part of November 1956 was 733, while demolitions were averaging 150 a month.
CHAPTER X
ORGANIZATION AND STAFF OF THE RESETTLEMENT DEPARTMENT
112. The Resettlement Department operates under the general direction of the Urban Council, three select committees of which are concerned with resettlement: one of them with matters of policy and the other two with matters connected with the administration of the multi-storey estates and the cottage
areas.
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