6
-
DAY, JUNE 15, 1977
SLOPES REMEDIAL WORKS *****
THERE IS NO LONGER ANY DANGER OF MUD AVALANCHES AT THE HOUSING ESTATE SLOPES BEING RECONSTRUCTED UNDER THE CRASH REMEDIAL PROGRAMME, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. DAVID MCDONALD, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
+WORK ON THE SLOPES HAS NOW REACHED A STAGE WHERE THERE IS NO LONGER ANY POSSIBILITY OF A MUD AVALANCHE SUCH AS THAT WHICH OCCURRED AT SAU MAU PING LAST YEAR,+ HE SAID.
MR. MCDONALD WAS SPEAKING IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. JAMES WU WHO ASKED ABOUT THE WORKS BEING UNDERTAKEN TO MAKE THE SLOPES SAFE, FOLLOWING THE SAU MAU PING LANDSLIDE REPORT.
THE REPORT, PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, REVEALED THAT MUD AVALANCHES AROSE BECAUSE OF RAIN INFILTRATION INTO LOOSELY COMPACTED SOIL AND RECOMMENDED STRINGENT NEW STANDARDS OF SOIL COMPACTION.
THE CRASH REMEDIAL PROGRAMME, COSTING ABOUT $35 MILLION, WAS LAUNCHED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CHINESE NEW YEAR AND BASICALLY INVOLVED EXCAVATING THE TOP LAYER OF EACH SLOPE TO A DEPTH OF AT LEAST THREE METRES, AND THEN RECOMPACTING IT IN SOLID HORIZONTAL LAYERS TO THE STRICT NEW STANDARDS LAID DOWN IN THE REPORT.
MR. MCDONALD TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT ALTOGETHER 17 FILL SLOPES IN PUBLIC HOUSING AREAS WERE BEING RECONSTRUCTED, INCLUDING 11 WHICH MIGHT HAVE AFFECTED TENANTS.
+WORKS ON 12 OF THE SLOPES ARE ALREADY_SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE, BUT SOME FILLING AND FINISHING WORK IS OUTSTANDING ON THE OTHER FIVE SITES,+ HE SAID.
+ IN THESE FIVE INSTANCES, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IN CONDITIONS OF HEAVY RAINFALL THERE COULD BE SOME SURFACE EROSION AND THAT SILT-LADEN WATER COULD COLLECT AT THE FOOT OF THE SLOPES.
+HOWEVER, I MUST STRESS THAT SUCH A DISCHARGE FROM THE SLOPES WOULD CONSTITUTE A NUISANCE -- BUT NOT A DANGER,+ MR. MCDONALD SAID.
AND STEPS HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO SEE THAT THIS WATER DID NOT GET INTO BUILDINGS AND INCONVENIENCE TENANTS, HE ADDED.
17