MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 1982
8
IN MAKING KNOWN THESE FIGURES, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT ALSO TOLD MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO BE MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE ANTI-SOCIAL EFFECT OF INDISCRIMINATELY LITTERING PUBLIC PLACES+.
THE FINAL PHASE OF THE CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN, WILL LAST UNTIL THE END OF THIS YEAR, AND WILL CONCENTRATE MORE ON PROSECUTION THAN ON CLEANING-UP, HE SAID.
AMONG THOSE CONVICTED WERE TWO YUEN LONG PIG FARMERS WHO WERE ORDERED TO PAY $2 000 EACH FOR HOSING AGRICULTURE WASTE INTO THE KAM TIN RIVER NEAR PAT HEUNG, DURING A MASSIVE CLEARANCE EFFORT COSTING THE GOVERNMENT MORE THAN $4 MILLION AND INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF WORKERS.
IN ADDITION TO THE TIDY-UP OPERATION OVER A 13-KILOMETRE STRETCH OF THE RIVER, FREE FARM WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES WERE PROVIDED ALONGSIDE THE BANKS OF THE RIVER TO FACILITATE PROPER DISPOSAL OF THE WASTE, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
OTHER LITTER OFFENDERS WERE SEVEN LORRY DRIVERS WHO WERE FINED $1 000 TO $1 500 EACH FOR DUMPING BUILDING RUBBLE ON HIGHWAYS OR OPEN SPACES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ALTHOUGH REPEATED WARNINGS HAD BEEN ISSUED AND MORE DUMPING SITES OPENED TO THEM FOR DISPOSAL OF THE DEBRIS.
TO DEAL WITH THIS, THE HIGHWAYS OFFICE (NT) OF THE ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE NTSD HAD TO CLEAR 6 000 TONNES OF BUILDING RUBBLE IN THE NINE MONTHS UP TO JUNE THIS YEAR.
EXTENSIVE CLEAN-UP OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES DURING THE FIRST PHASES OF THE CAMPAIGN RESULTED IN THE COLLECTION OF MORE THAN 8 000 TONNES OF RUBBISH AND THE REMOVAL OF SOME 10 000 LORRY LOADS OF BULKY JUNK, ON THE TOP OF THE NORMAL ANNUAL REFUSE COLLECTION TOTALLING ABOUT 290 000 TONNES, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.
AND AN ALL-OUT EFFORT IN THE INTENSIVE BLOCK-TO-BLOCK CLEAN-UPS ALSO LED TO THE ELIMINATION OF VARIOUS RUBBISH-RIDDEN BLACKSPOTS AND RESULTED IN A MARKED IMPROVEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE DURING THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD.
HOWEVER, NTSD CLEANSING STAFF STILL REGULARLY COLLECT SOME 2 400 BASKETS OF REFUSE DURING AND AFTER EACH WEEKEND AND A PUBLIC HOLIDAY FROM POPULAR PICNIC SPOTS. HALF OF THE AMOUNT WAS COLLECTED IN SAI KUNG AREA.
TO FACILITATE REPORTING OF REFUSE AND NUISANCE BY THE PUBLIC, A NT LITTER COMPLAINT HOT-LINE (0-445555) HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE LAST OCTOBER, AND HAS BEEN RECEIVING HUNDREDS OF CALLS.
PROMPT FOLLOW-UP ACTION IS CARRIED OUT, AND MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS KERE DEALT WITH WITHIN TWO DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF A COMPLAINT.
IN A SEPARATE PHASE OF THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, MORE THAN 200 000 YOUNG TREES AND RUBS WERE PLANTED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AREA TO ADD GREENERY AND MAKE IT LOOK MORE PLEASANT.
19