Q 17
B. O. Work,
The decrease in number of nuisances reported by the Sanitary Department is due to the fact that the bulk of these notices, which were formerly served by the Buildings Ordinance Office, are now dealt with direct by the Sanitary Department. The increase in number of notices served in respect of illegal signboards may be attributed to the systematic visits made in the several districts of the City and Kowloon where signboards are most numerously displayed.
The following is a tabulated statement of cases in which legal proceedings were taken with regard to failure to obtain permits, the number of convictions obtained, and the amount of fines imposed:
Nature of Offence. No. of Cases. No. of Convictions. Amount of Fines. Removal of stone, &c., from Crown land or foreshore without permission, 385 12 $600 Depositing materials on Crown land without permission, Erecting or maintaining matsheds without permission, 14 12 $24625. Private Streets.-Re-surfacing and other repairs under the provisions of Section 186 were carried out by this Department at the cost of the frontagers in seven streets.
26. Improvements, &c., of Public Streets.-The policy of requiring houses, when undergoing re-construction, to be built at a higher level where necessary in order to provide for the future raising of certain low-lying areas in Hongkong and Kowloon has been continued. In some cases, arrangements were made with owners whereby the ground floors of their houses are retained at their former levels upon their giving an undertaking to raise such floors when the raising of the street is carried out.
27. Footways.-Attention has been given to footways under balconies and verandahs, any necessary repairs being carried out by this Department at the cost of the owners of the property from which such verandahs and balconies project.
28. Typhoon and Rainstorm Damages.-There are only two items affecting private lots which call for report under this heading, viz.
R.B.L. 105, Barker Road, and I.L. 2070, the heavy rains in July causing slight damage in both cases.
A slip occurred at Ma Tau Kok Quarry causing the death of two persons.