THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1981
333 MORE WATER DRAW-OFF POINTS FOR SQUATTERS
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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS INSTALLED A TOTAL OF 333 ADDITIONAL DRAW-OFF POINTS IN SQUATTER AREAS THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF WATER RESTRICTIONS.
ADDITIONAL PIPES HAVE ALSO BEEN LAID TO IMPROVE THE WATER SUPPLY TO SQUATTER RESIDENTS TO OFF-SET THE REDUCED SUPPLY PERIOD TO 10 HOURS DAILY,
THE CHIEF ENGINEER (CONSUMER SERVICES) OF THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, MR HU MAN-SHIU, SAID TODAY THE EFFECTS OF THE 10-HOUR SUPPLY IN RELATION TO SQUATTER RESIDENTS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED.+
MR HU SAID STAFF OF THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT COULD DULY RESPOND IN PARTICULAR CASES, IF NECESSARY.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION OF THE LAST BATCH OF ADDITIONAL DRAW-OFF POINTS AND THE LAYING OF ADDITIONAL PIPES IN 33 SQUATTER AREAS IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, HOUSING ABOUT 90 000 PEOPLE.
TWENTY-NINE OF THE SQUATTER AREAS WERE IDENTIFIED AS +POTENTIAL PROBLEM AREAS+ AND SUPPLY HOURS TO NINE OF THEM WERE EXTENDED TEMPORARILY PENDING THE COMPLETION OF THE ADDITIONAL PIPE WORKS.
LAST MONTH THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT INSTALLED
142 ADDITIONAL DRAW-OFF POINTS IN 46 SQUATTER AREAS ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
IN ADDITION, 15 AREAS ON THE ISLAND, WHERE THE HEAVIER RATE OF DRAW-OFF ON 10 HOURS SUPPLY MAY GIVE RISE TO SUPPLY DIFFICULTIES, WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE A 16-HOUR SUPPLY, THESE AREAS ARE LOCATED PRINCIPALLY IN SHAU KEI WAN, WHERE ABOUT 45 000 PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT.
MR HU SAID: +WE HAVE EMBARKED ON A SCHEME WHICH WILL BENEF IT SOME 160 000 PEOPLE BY PROVIDING ABOUT 30 000 METERS TO 51 VILLAGES AND SQUATTER AREAS IN THE URBAN AREAS AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.+
HE REITERATED THAT THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT WOULD EVENTUALLY LIKE TO SEE EACH SQUATTER HUT PROVIDED WITH AN INDIVIDUAL METERED SUPPLY AND THE ABOLITION OF STANDPIPES, WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO WIDESPREAD ABUSE.
+THE PROBLEMS ARE CONSIDERABLE BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TOWARDS A SOLUTION, HE ADDED.
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