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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1978
THE GOVERNOR INAUGURATES HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME
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THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, TODAY (MONDAY) DESCRIBED THE HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME AS AN EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT BY PEOPLE OF MANY RACES.
SIR MURRAY WAS ADDRESSING A GATHERING OF SOME 400 DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AT THE FORMAL OPENING OF THE $1,350 MILLION WATER SCHEME.
HE SAID THAT HONG KONG'S STORY WAS ONE OF IMPROBABILITIES THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD MADE COME TRUE, BUT THIS IS EXCEPTIONAL EVEN FOR HONG KONG.
+THE SITE OF THIS RESERVOIR DAMS NO NOTABLE RIVER IS NOT IN THE CENTRE OF A NATURAL CATCHMENT AREA HAS NOT EVEN ONE END CLOSED BY A NATURAL FEATURE - AND YET IT HAS BEEN MADE INTO THE GREATEST RESERVOIR IN HONG KONG NEARLY DOUBLING OUR STORAGE CAPACITY,+ HE ADDED.
ALL THAT IS BEST IN HONG KONG, THE GOVERNOR SAID, RESULTED FROM THE COLLABORATION OF PEOPLE OF MANY RACES.
+WE ARE INAUGURATING TODAY THE WORK OF CHINESE AND EUROPEANS- THE CANTONESE, HAKKA AND HOKLO, ITALIANS AND BRITISH AND SWEDES AND GERMANS AND FRENCH. THEY ALL WORKED TOGETHER, AND WE SEE THE IR SUCCESS, HE ADDED.
SIR MURRAY SAID THAT THE RESULT COULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE PROFESSIONALISM AND IMAGINATION AND DETERMINATION OF THE ENGINEERS, AND THE EXPERTISE AND HARD WORK OF THE CONTRACTORS AND THEIR WORKFORCE.
+BUT WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE SIX MILLION CUBIC METRES (15 MILLION TONS) OF SOIL AND ROCK EXCAVATED OR MOVED TO MAKE AND EFFECT THIS COMPLEX, THE 40 KILOMETRES OF TUNNELS COMPLETED AND THE 36 MILLION TONS OF ROCKFILL PLACED THE NINE PUMPING STATIONS WITH A COMBINED POWER THAT COULD PROPEL A 15,000-TON LINER - WHEN ONE CONSIDERS ALL THIS AND SEES THE RESULT BEFORE US IT SEEMS TO ME YET ANOTHER PROOF, IF PROOF WERE NEEDED, THAT HONG KONG CAN DO IT, HE SAID.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE PROJECT EXHAUSTED THE MAJOR NATURAL WATER POTENTIAL OF HONG KONG.
+THE KWANGTUNG AUTHORITIES HAVE AGREED TO INCREASE THEIR SUPPLY BY 30 PER CENT BY 1981/82 AND WE ARE BUSY CONSTRUCTING WORKS TO TAKE THIS INCREASED SUPPLY. THE AGREEMENT FOR THE INCREASE WILL BE SIGNED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS IN CANTON, SIR MURRAY SAID.
+THE KWANG TUNG AUTHORITIES HAVE ALSO AGREED TO CONSIDER WHAT THEY CAN DO TO MEET OUR LONG-TERM REQUIREMENTS.
/+FOR OUR.....