TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1981
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MORE TEETH TO COMBAT HARBOUR LITTER
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THE MARINE DEPARTMENT'S POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT HAS STRENGTHENED ITS FLEET OF REFUSE COLLECTION VESSELS IN SUPPORT OF THE REVITALISED CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN.
TWO NEW +WATERWITCHES+ HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE DEPARTMENT'S FLEET BRINGING TO THREE THE NUMBER OF SUCH VESSELS IN HONG KONG. THE +WATERWITCH+ IS ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED REFUSE-COLLECTION VESSELS IN THE WORLD.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (TUESDAY), MR TREVOR BERRY, MARINE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT SAID THAT THE WATERWITCHES ARE NOW OPERATING THROUGHOUT HONG KONG WATERS DAILY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM OF FLOATING REFUSE. SUCH REFUSE IS ILLEGALLY DUMPED INTO THE HARBOUR OR FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE WATERS FROM NULLAHS AND DRAINS.
+EACH 'WATERWITCH IS CAPABLE OF LIFTING ON AVERAGE FROM EIGHT TO NINE TONNES OF FLOATING REFUSE EVERY DAY. THE POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT'S FLEET HAS BEEN COLLECTING REFUSE AT THE RATE OF 4 000 TONNES A YEAR AND AS THE ESTIMATED POTENTIAL YIELD OF REFUSE FROM HONG KONG WATERS IS 10 000 TONNES A YEAR, THE ADDITION OF THESE NEW WATERWITCHES' TO OUR FLEET IS VITAL, HE SAID.
THE POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT'S FLEET NOW CONSISTS OF 46 VESSELS, INCLUDING TWO 'HARBOURSWEEPERS', RECEPTION VESSELS AND A FLEET OF SAMPANS, MR BERRY STATED.
HE SAID THAT TO UTILISE THE UNIT'S FLEET AS QUICKLY AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE, DAWN HELICOPTER PATROLS WILL SOON BE UNDERTAKEN TO PINPOINT PARTICULARLY BAD SLICKS OF FLOATING REFUSE. THE WHEREABOUTS OF THESE SLICKS WILL BE RELAYED TO THE POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT WHICH WILL THEN SEND OFF ITS FLEET TO THE TROUBLED WATERS IMMEDIATELY.
+THE "WATERWITCH' IS MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AT A COST OF HK$750 000 EACH, + MR BERRY SAID. IT IS USED BY MARINE AUTHOR ITIES IN COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD INCLUDING THOSE IN THE U.S.A., EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST AND SINGAPORE,+ HE STATED.
THE TWO NEW WATERWITCHES WHICH ONLY ARRIVED BY SHIP ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19. WERE COMMISSIONED ON SUNDAY (OCTOBER 25) IN THE PRESENCE OF THREE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MANUFACTURER WHO FLEW OUT TO HONG KONG ESPECIALLY FOR THE OCCASION, HE ADDED.
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