WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1977
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TAI HANG ROAD CLEAN UP EXTENDED ******
STAFF OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT TOOK AWAY ABOUT 12 TONS OF REFUSE ON THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF A MAJOR OPERATION TO CLEAN UP A SQUATTER AREA WHICH COVERS THE HILLSIDES ABOVE TAI HANG ROAD.
THE OPERATION BEGAN ON MONDAY AND WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO LAST FIVE DAYS, HOWEVER, THE URBAN SERVICES OFFICER FOR WAN CHAI, MR. ROBERT IP PING-KIN, HAS SAID THE WORK WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE BUILD-UP OF LITTER.
THE MAIN PROBLEM ARISES FROM THE PRESENCE OF ABOUT 1,000 PIGS AMONG THE 300 HUTS OF THE SQUATTER AREA, LOCATED OPPOSITE WESLEY VILLAGE.
WASTE FROM THE 50 PIG STIES AND MANY OF THE HUTS GOES DIRECTLY INTO NULLAHS, WHICH HAVE DRIED UP BECAUSE OF THE RECENT LOW RAINFALL, AND THE SMELL HAS RESULTED IN COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTS OF NEARBY HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
COMMENTING ON THE PROBLEM, MR. IP SAID: +COUPLED WITH THE WARM WEATHER, THE ACCUMULATION OF EXCRETA AND OTHER REFUSE HAS PROVIDED A BREEDING GROUND FOR FLIES AND OTHER VERMIN,+
MORE THAN 50 WORKERS OF THE U.S.D. WAN CHAI DISTRICT OFFICE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE OPERATION, IN WHICH ABOUT 7,000 GALLONS OF WATER HAS BEEN USED TO CLEAN UP SOME OF THE NULLAHS.
WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE TAI HANG AND SO KON POO AREA COMMITTEE, A SIMILAR OPERATION WAS CARRIED OUT LAST YEAR.
THIS RESULTED IN THE PROVISION OF REFUSE BINS AND TEMPORARY LATRINES WITH A DAILY COLLECTION SERVICE, AND A U.S.D. LABOURER WAS STATIONED IN THE AREA TO CLEAN THE NULLAHS.
IN ADDITION TO FOUR REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLES AND STREET WASHERS, A BROADCASTING VAN IS AT THE SCENE TO REMIND THE 700 VILLAGERS OF THE NEED TO KEEP THEIR ENVIRONMENT FREE OF SANITARY NUISANCES.
THE DECISION TO EXTEND THE OPERATION BY TWO TO THREE DAYS WAS MADE AFTER THE STAFF FOUND THE HILLSIDES LITTERED WITH TIMBER AND METAL TINS USED TO CARRY PIG WASH TO THE STIES,
MR. IP SAID THE TINS POSE AN ADDITIONAL PROBLEM, AS THEY WILL BECOME BREEDING PLACES FOR MOSQUITOES THE NEXT TIME IT RAINS.
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