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Wednesday, June 20, 1973.
"However, the wisdom of siting a licensed area with its flimsy huts
and large population at the foot of such a high man-made slope in the face of
Hong Kong's monsoonal climate must be questioned," he said.
Mr. Szeto shared the view of the commission that all excavation works
should be programmed and be approved by the Building Authority to prevent
exposure of large and dangerous cutting faces during wet seasons.
But he further recommended that owners of existing developments
involving cut slopes of considerable height should be required to submit sta-
bility certificates by qualified engineers at suitable intervals.
This was because most cut slopes lacked maintenance after they were
formed, and the chunam membrane commonly used in Hong Kong was vulnerable to
cracks through which rainwater could penetrate, he explained.
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