THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1982

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BIG RURAL AREA AND COUNTRYSIDE CLEAN-UP

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MASSIVE CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS WILL BE MOUNTED IN THE VILLAGES AND COUNTRYSIDE THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES AS PART OF THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN.

THE BLITZ WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY (FEBRUARY 8), AND CLEANSING STAFF OF THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL STEP UP WORK AT VARIOUS VILLAGES, A SPOKESMAN OF THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPECIAL EFFORT WILL BE MADE IN CLEARING RUBBISH FROM STREAMS, RIVERS, NULLAHS AND POPULAR PICNIC SPOTS, HE SAID.

ATTENTION WILL ALSO BE FOCUSED ON THE DUMPING OF BUILDING RUBBLE AND THE LITTERING OF HIGHWAYS AND OPEN SPACES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.

IN EARLIER PHASES OF THE CLEAN-UP EFFORT, CLEANSING STAFF COLLECTED MORE THAN 10 000 TONNES OF JUNK, BULKY DISCARDED ITEMS, GARBAGE AND BUILDING RUBBLE ON TOP OF THE NORMAL COLLECTION OF ABOUT 1 000 TONNES OF REFUSE A MONTH.

THE CLEAN-UP WORK HAS RESULTED IN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE OF THE AREAS.

A NUMBER OF SMALL MOTOR-ASSISTED REFUSE CARRIERS HAVE BEEN USED IN VILLAGES WHICH COULD NOT BE REACHED BY CONVENTIONAL REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLES, GREATLY FACILITATING THE CLEANING WORK, AN ADDITIONAL 28 PATHS' ARE BEING BUILT IN OTHER VILLAGES TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR THE SMALL REFUSE CARRIERS.

CLEARANCE WORK HAS ALSO BEEN UNDERTAKEN IN THE KAM TIN RIVER. SURFACE SCUM, SLUDGE AND REFUSE HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND VEGETATION CUT OVER MORE THAN 13 KILOMETRES OF THE RIVER NEAR THE PAT HEUNG AREA.

WORKERS ALSO CLEARED IRRIGATION WEIRS AND IMMEDIATE UPSTREAM STRETCHES.

THE RESULTS WERE VERY ENCOURAGING AND MORE CLEARANCE WORK WOULD BE CARRIED OUT AT OTHER RIVERS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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