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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 1981
KWUN TONG BOARD HEARS ABOUT SQUATTER PROBLEM
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EASTERN KOWLOON IS A FAVOURITE CONCENTRATION POINT FOR SQUATTERS, THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT BOARD WAS TOLD AT ITS FOURTH MEETING TODAY.
THIS WAS DUE TO A COMBINATION OF FACTORS, INCLUDING THE PRESENCE OF MANY HOUSING ESTATES, LARGE TRACTS OF UNDEVELOPED HILLSIDES, SUCH AS IN YAU TONG, LAM TIN AND SAU MAU PING, AND ALSO THE PRESENCE OF +GO-BETWEEN+ RACKETEERS WHO ORGANISE THE CONSTRUCTION OF HUTS FOR SALE TO MEET DEMAND, AND THE SUPPLY OF WATER FROM STREAMS OR CONNECTION FROM MAINS SUPPLY PIPE, AND ELECTRICITY, USUALLY FROM ILLEGAL TAPPING OF AN AUTHORISED SUPPLY, IT WAS TOLD IN A PAPER ON THE SQUATTER PROBLEM PREPARED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
SOME 80 PER CENT OF THE NEW SQUATTERS ARE RECENT IMMIGRANTS, THE BOARD WAS TOLD.
THERE HAS BEEN A RECENT UPSURGE IN SQUATTER BUILDING, AND WELL OVER 500 ILLEGAL HUTS WERE DEMOLISHED LAST MONTH IN KWUN TONG DISTRICT.
A WIDE RANGE OF MATTERS WAS DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD.
ON TRAFFIC, IT WAS TOLD THAT SEVERAL MEASURES HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN THE KWUN TONG AREA.
THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE IS EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A SEPARATE GRADED PEDESTRIAN CROSSING NETWORK IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, WHILE THE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE HAS FORMULATED BOTH SHORT AND MEDIUM TERM MEASURES TO EASE THE CONGESTION ALONG LEI YUE MUN ROAD.
IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT THE PROPOSED HOW MING LANE SUBWAY AND TSUN YIP LANE FOOTBRIDGE WOULD BE CONSTRUCTED BY THE END OF THE YEAR AND IN APRIL, RESPECTIVELY.
IN THE AREA OF ENTERTAINMENT, LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE PREPARING FOR THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL CARNIVAL TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 13 BY THE BOARD. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE AREA'S CULTURE AND RECREATION PROMOTION ASSOCIATION.
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