FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1983
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BOARD SPENDING $400 000 ON SQUATTER IMPROVEMENTS
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THE WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT BOARD WILL SPEND $400 000 ON ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THE 24 SQUATTER AREAS IN THE DISTRICT THIS FINANCIAL YEAR, THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR PHILIP CHOK, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON GATHERING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG EAST, MR CHOK SAID THERE WERE 45 000 SQUATTERS, REPRESENTING ABOUT 10 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION IN THE DISTRICT.
+WHILST AVAILABLE FACILITIES SHOULD NOT BE SUCH AS TO ENCOURAGE SQUATTING, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO REDUCE THE NATURAL HAZARDS AND TO INTRODUCE BASIC SERVICES TO THE MORE PERMANENT SQUATTER AREAS, HE SAID.
SINCE LATE 1981, HE SAID, THE DISTRICT BOARD HAD BEEN CARRYING OUT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS IN THE AREA OF WATER AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY, FIRE PREVENTION AND THE PROVISION OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES IN THESE SQUATTER AREAS,
SOME OF THE PROJECTS WERE:
* ON WATER SUPPLY, 22 ADDITIONAL PUBLIC STANDPIPES WERE INSTALLED IN NINE SQUATTER VILLAGES BETWEEN LATE 1981 AND LAST NOVEMBER. OF THE 24 SQUATTER AREAS, ONLY THREE ARE WITHOUT A PUBLIC STANDPIPE :
THE ELECTRIFICATION SCHEMES IN TAI HOM WOR, GOOD HOPE VILLAGE AND PO KONG NEW VILLAGE WERE COMPLETED LAST YEAR. NEARLY ALL SQUATTER VILLAGES IN THE DISTRICT NOW HAVE LEGAL ELECTRICITY SUPPLY;
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* FIFTEEN FOOTPATHS IN NINE SQUATTER AREAS AND
ANOTHER FOUR UNGAZETTED ROADS WERE REPAIRED LAST YEAR, WHILE 270 ROAD SIGNS WERE INSTALLED
IN THE DIAMOND HILL AREA;
* A FORMER LARD-BOILING FACTORY IN CHUNG SHAN VILLAGE
WAS CONVERTED INTO A TEMPORARY SITTING-OUT AREA WHILE A BASKETBALL COURT WAS BUILT AT THE FORMER PING YEUNG SUN CHUEN FIRE SITE;
*
TWENTY-FIVE FIRE WATCH TEAMS HAD BEEN SET UP SINCE 1978. THE DISTRICT OFFICE IS PLANNING TO SET UP A TEAM IN ALL THE SQUATTER AREAS:
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ALL 24 SQUATTER VILLAGES HAVE EITHER A MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE OR A RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION, AND
*
FUNDS WERE PROVIDED BY THE DISTRICT BOARD TO INSTALL COMMUNAL LETTER BOXES IN CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO FACILITATE REGULAR POSTAL DELIVERIES.
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