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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
2. MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN asked the following question (in Cantonese):— During the traditional 'ghost' festival, it is the common practice to burn incense and paper offerings as a ritual. It is noticed that some people carry out the burning at the roadside and do not care to remove the left-over immediately after the event. Thus, it gives rise to sanitary nuisance. I wish to ask the Council what steps have been or will be taken to keep the public place free from the filthy waste in order to protect the public health?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question asked about the measures that the Council would take to abate the sanitary nuisance caused by the residue of the burnt incense and paper offerings during the 'ghost' festival period.
The offering of food and fruit to the wandering 'hungry ghosts' and the burning of joss-sticks and ritual paper in the streets in the months of August and September each year is a Chinese tradition. In order to respect this tradition, the burnt offerings are, to a certain extent, tolerated during this period.
With a view to minimizing the sanitary nuisance caused by these activities, which sometimes are really unavoidable, the Department would usually take out the following measures:
(a) To advise the public to use incense burners or containers for the burning of joss-sticks and paper offerings;
(b) To advise the public to quench out the burnt residue with water so as to reduce the nuisance of flying ash and smoke;
(c) To take enforcement actions against those who do not care to follow the above warnings; and
(d) To clear the burnt residue by the department as soon as possible so as to keep the nuisance generated to a minimum.
In order to tie in with the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign 'pitching in' message, the Department will consider publicity campaign stressing the need to maintain a clean environment just before the 'Yu Lan' Festival next year.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I wish to ask the following question. There are two items (a) and (b) to advise the public to minimize the sanitary nuisance. May I know what exactly has been done in the past? As far as I know nothing appears to have been done. As regards enforcement actions, have any actions actually been taken?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—As regards the first part of supplementary question about the publicity measures that have been launched, the public are usually advised to look after the burnt residue and also during the process of the burning of offerings and also there is a press release. But I have to admit that there is no large scale campaign specially targeted for this 'Yu Lan' Festival. I think at present the publicity measures that we have taken would be rather haphazard. May be in the forthcoming year, in the next ‘Yu Lan' Festival, we have to put more emphasis on this by issuing press releases or making publicity campaigns on larger scales. As regards the second part of the supplementary question about the enforcement actions, since the residue will just be left overnight and will be cleaned by our workers the next morning, I don't think it is absolutely necessary for us to act so fast during the night to enforce actions. In actual fact, the residue will be cleaned up at the next morning. I am not quite clear what Mr. CHAN has in mind about the second part of the question.
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MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—I wish to know as far as enforcement actions are concerned, what have actually been done and do we have any statistics for instance?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—I have no figure in hand but common sense tells me that there is no prosecution appearing in the press. So I don't think there is a large scale enforcement action taken against the offenders.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, this particular festival is a Chinese tradition. But could the Council possibly consider during this particular period, perhaps setting aside an appropriate site for members of the public to perform such rituals. If the wandering hungry ghosts know that there is a specific site for them, they will go to that particular area. The general public need not perform the ritual elsewhere. Could we possibly concentrate their activities in certain areas so that our streets can remain clean and no other environmental nuisances will be caused.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—It is very interesting because actually it is being done now. If you remember that Mr. Daniel WONG pressed very hard to have a concentration camp for all these ghosts to consume a banquet in Yau Tsim area. In different districts, there is already a concentrated place for the 'hungry ghosts' to come and enjoy themselves. It is already concentrated. But for the private householders, I think they will stick onto their customs to worship their own ghosts or ancestors by the kerbside. So it will be difficult for the Urban Council to designate certain places for this particular worship during this short period of time. If Mr. CHAN has any particular places in mind, I will be willing to take up the suggestion and put it forward to the Department.
(Mr. Frederick K. K. FUNG arrived at 2.44 p.m.)
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, it is true that it is part of our traditions. It has been done for years. Even though it is not so commonly practised now as in the past, we still hope to see some improvements. In the Keep Hong Kong Clean Steering Committee, the question of Yu Lan Festival was discussed and the Assistant Director of Housing Department did undertake to try
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