SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 1981
ENVIRONMENTAL OPERATIONS IN TSUEN WAN
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A TOTAL OF 77 JOINT CLEARANCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL BLACKSPOTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT IN TSUEN WAN DURING THE PAST SEVEN MONTHS SINCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SECTION OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE WAS SET UP.
THE FIGURES REFLECT THE PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION IN TSUEN WAN WHICH HAS GREATLY IMPROVED AS A RESULT OF THE CLEARANCES, THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER (TSUEN WAN) IN CHARGE OF CONTROL WORK, MR STEVE YUEN, SAID.
DURING THE SEVEN-MONTH PERIOD, HE SAID, JOINT OPERATIONS WERE CO-ORDINATED BY STAFF OF THE SECTION TO REMOVE UNAUTHORISED STRUCTURES, EXTENSIONS, RUBBISH DUMPINGS, ILLEGAL STORAGE AND ABANDONED VEHICLES.
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED INCLUDE THE POLICE, THE LAND TRANSPORT AGENCY, HOUSING AND NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES.
OF THE 77 OPERATIONS, 52 WERE CARRIED OUT IN URBAN AREAS AND THE REMAINDER IN RURAL AREAS OF TSUEN WAN, NINETEEN OPERATIONS WERE CARRIED OUT ON ROUTE TWISK FOLLOWING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE UNSATISFACTORY ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
MR YUEN SAID SOME JOINT OPERATIONS MIGHT LOOK SMALL IN SCALE, WITH ONLY ONE OR TWO STRUCTURES BEING REMOVED, BUT IF PROMPT ACTION WAS NOT TAKEN TO EFFECT REMOVAL, THE ENTIRE PAVEMENT OR BACKLANES WOULD BE FILLED WITH STRUCTURES WITHIN A FEW MONTHS.
+ASIDE FROM CLEARANCES AND REMOVALS OF UNAUTHORISED STRUCTURES AND ABANDONED VEHICLES, OUR STAFF ALSO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO SITUATIONS THAT CONSTITUTE ENVIRONMENTAL DETERIORATION AND AREAS WHICH NEED IMPROVEMENT, HE SAID.
STAFF ON PATROL WERE TOLD TO WATCH OUT FOR THESE SITUATIONS, SUCH AS DANGEROUS SIGNBOARDS, HOLES IN THE ROAD, BROKEN RAILINGS OR DESERTED CROWN LAND WHICH COULD BE CONVERTED INTO SITTING-OUT AREAS OR CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUNDS.
FOR INSTANCE, HE SAID, ONE OF THEIR JOBS LAST YEAR WAS TO CLEAR AND PUT UP FENCES AND GATES AROUND THE SITE NEXT TO THE LADY MAUR INE GRANTHAM HEALTH CENTRE TO GET IT READY FOR CONVERSION
INTO A SPORTS CENTRE.
IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, HE SAID, THEY WOULD PUT EXTRA EFFORT INTO TACKLING THE ABANDONED VEHICLE PROBLEM IN TSUEN WAN.
ON THEIR DAILY WORK, HE SAID, EACH AREA WAS PATROLLED AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, AND WHERE A OPERATION HAD JUST BEEN COMPLETED, THE AREA WOULD BE PATROLLED REGULARLY TO PREVENT RECURRENCE.
+RECURRENCE IN SOME CASES IS BOUND TO HAPPEN, AND WILL BE DEALT WITH BY FURTHER JOINT OPERATIONS OR, IF CIRCUMSTANCES WARRANT IT, PROSECUTIONS, HE CAID.
HE ADDED THAT COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS COMPLAINTS AND REFERRALS FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS WERE ALSO BEING HANDLED.
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