FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1976
2
RESTORING LIFE TO THE SUTLEJ
USD MEN BEGIN RIVER CLEAN-UP OPERATION
*****
URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF HAVE BEGUN WORK ON CLEANING UP THE SUTLEJ RIVER AT SHEUNG SHUI, WITH THE OBJECT OF RESTORING LIFE TO THIS MUCH POLLUTED NEW TERRITORIES STREAM.
A U.S.D. TASK-FORCE OF ABOUT 24 MEN IS NOW WORKING ITS WAY DOWNSTREAM TOWARDS THE TANNERIES, WHICH ARE ABOUT TO BE CLOSED AND REMOVED TO KWAI CHUNG. THIS INITIAL CLEAN-UP OPERATION SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN SIX WEEKS' TIME.
A U.S.D. SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY THAT THE THREE-MILE-LONG SUTLEJ, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE SHEK SHEUNG HO AND WHICH JOINS THE RIVER
INDUS AT PAK HA, HAD BEEN GROSSLY POLLUTED FOR YEARS BY INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL DISCHARGES.
EXAMINATION OF WATER SAMPLES HAD GIVEN APPALLING RESULTS, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED. LABORATORY FINDINGS SHOWED THAT SUCH WATER WAS PRACTICALLY INCAPABLE OF BEING TREATED EVEN AT THE MOST ADVANCED WATERWORKS TREATMENT CENTRES.
HAS
THE CLEAN-UP OPERATION, WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $12,000, BEEN DIVIDED INTO FIVE STAGES. THE FIRST, ON WHICH WORK IS NOW UNDER WAY, CONSISTS OF CLEANING THE STREAM COURSE FROM THE VILLAGE OF PING KENG DOWNWARDS.
THE NEXT THREE STAGES COMPRISE THE TOUGH TASK OF CLEANING THE RIVER IN THE AREA OCCUPIED UP TO NOW BY THE TANNERIES.
THE FIFTH AND FINAL STAGE WILL BE THE CLEANING OF THE LOWER COURSE, DOWNSTREAM OF THE TANNERIES.
THE U.S.D. TEAMS WILL BE USING VARIOUS METHODS TO CLEAN THE RIVER. THEY WILL BE GIVING THE RIVER BED A THOROUGH +SWEEPING+ AFTER PUTTING UP TEMPORARY WEIRS AND DAMS SO THAT WATER CAN BE HELD UP OR DIVERTED AND POLLUTED SLUDGE DEPOSITS CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE BED.
A DESLUDGING VEHICLE WILL BE USED IN SUITABLE AREAS. IN INACCESSIBLE PARTS SLUDGE WILL BE DEALT WITH MANUALLY ON THE
SPOT.
SCUM WILL BE SKIMMED FROM THE SURFACE, AND UNDERGROWTH AND TREES WHICH EITHER OBSTRUCT THE RIVER FLOW OR PREVENT ACCESS TO THE BANKS WILL BE CUT AWAY.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT A TOTAL OF ABOUT 14,000 BASKETS, OR 300 TONS, OF SOLID WASTE WOULD HAVE TO BE CARRIED AWAY.
HE ADDED THAT, AFTER YEARS OF INTENSE POLLUTION FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, THIS INITIAL EXERCISE COULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO RESTORE THE WATER TO FULL PURITY,
+
+BUT WE ARE DETERMINED TO MAKE A GOOD START ON THE PROBLEM, HE SAID, +AND TO ACHIEVE SOL ID PROGRESS, WE HOPE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT BEFORE TOO LONG FISH-BREEDING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SUTLEJ WATERS AND THAT THIS STREAM WILL SOON BEGIN TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO ITS BANKS
INSTEAD OF REPELLING THEM. +
13.