SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1977
WATER RESOURCES AND THEIR RELATION TO SUPPLY ARE BASED ON COMPUTED SCENARIES COVERING SOMETHING LIKE A 500-YEAR SEQUENCE, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT EXISTING AND FUTURE STORAGE CAPACITIES, PAST RAINFALL PATTERNS AND ESTIMATED FUTURE DEMAND. IT'S NOT SO MUCH A CASE OF SAYING +AT THIS RATE WE WON'T HAVE A WATER PROBLEM BY
BUT FAR MORE REALISTIC TO ESTIMATE THE LOWEST RISK THE BEST THAT CAN BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT ADEQUATE WATER IS ON TAP FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD POSSIBLE DURING PROLONGED DRY SPELLS WITH THE AID OF EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS.
AND HONG KONG'S NOT THE ONLY AREA FACING CURRENT AND FUTURE WATER PROBLEMS. THERE HAVE BEEN SERIOUS DROUGHTS THIS SPRING FROM SOUTH CHINA TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. IN ASIA ALONE, TAIWAN IS ON RESTRICTED WATER SUPPLY AND SEVERE DROUGHTS ARE AFFECTING VIETNAM, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, INDIA AND SRI LANKA. AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE UNITED NATIONS HAS JUST THIS YEAR BEGUN TO WARN THE WORLD THAT WATER, OR THE LACK OF IT, WILL HAVE REPLACED ENERGY AT THE TOP OF THE GLOBAL CRISIS TABLE BY THE YEAR 2000.
AT A RECENT WATER SUPPLIES CONFERENCE IN BUENOS AIRES, THE FIRST OF ITS TYPE EVER HELD, DELEGATES WERE TOLD THAT ALREADY TODAY, 1,200 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD LACK PROPER DRINKING WATER, AND 25,000 PEOPLE DIE EVERY DAY OF WATER-RELATED ILLNESSES.
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ARGENTINA'S UNDER-SECRETARY FOR WATER RESOURCES, LUIS JUAREGUY, SUMMED UP THE GROWING CONCERN WHEN HE SAID: THE NOTION THAT DRINK ING WATER IS A NATURAL AND INEXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCE IS ON THE WAY OUT.+
SO, IF THE CURRENT HONG KONG DROUGHT IS NOT ENOUGH TO AROUSE PUBLIC CONCERN FOR WATER CONSERVATION AND CONSUMER CONSTRAINT. NEXT TIME YOU POUR A DRINK OF WATER AND USE HALF A GALLON OF THE PRECIOUS LIQUID TO WASH THE GLASS OUT, CONSIDER THE YEAR 2000.
PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER RESURFACING
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WORK HAS BEGUN ON RESURFACING PART OF PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD FLYOVER TO IMPROVE THE SKID RESISTANCE OF THE ROAD SURFACE.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THE WORKS WERE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT A WEEK'S TIME.
BASICALLY, HE SAID, THE WORKS WOULD INVOLVE REMOVING THE TOP LAYER OF THE EXISTING ROAD SURFACE THEN SAND BLASTING IT TO REMOVE GREASE AND OIL BEFORE APPLYING A SPECIAL ANTI-SKID MATERIAL IMPORTED FROM CHINA.
+ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULD GREATLY IMPROVE THE SKID RESISTANCE OF THE ROAD SURFACE, MOTORISTS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO DRIVE WITH CARE WHEN USING THE FLYOVER.
+SPEEDING IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS, AND NO AMOUNT OF ROAD ENGINEERING WILL TOTALLY ELIMINATE THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS IF MOTORISTS THEMSELVES DO NOT KEEP WITHIN SAFETY LIMITS, HE SAID.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT AS AN ADDED MEASURE LARGE SIGNS ADVISING MOTORISTS TO SLOW DOWN HAD BEEN PLACED ON EACH OF THE APPROACHES TO THE BEND ON THE FLYOVER.
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