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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1985
+MANY WORKS OF THE EARLY YEARS, LIKE THE FORMATION OF WELLS AND IRRIGATION SCHEMES, ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED AS MOST AREAS ARE NOW COVERED BY WATER SUPPLY NETWORK, AND FARMING HAD BEEN WANING IN THE DISTRICT,+ HE SAID.
+EMPHASIS IS NOW PLACED ON RECREATIONAL ASPECTS WHERE FACILITIES SUCH AS PLAYGROUNDS, BASKETBALL COURTS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED, + HE ADDED.
THE ISLANDS DISTRICT LPW HAS INDEED COME A LONG WAY WITH A RECORD ALLOCATION OF MORE THAN $2 MILLION THIS YEAR, COMPARED WITH THE MEAGRE $5 000 FOR THE WHOLE NEW TERRITORIES IN 1919.
PROJECTS ARE NORMALLY INITIATED BY LOCAL RESIDENTS THROUGH THE IR VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVES, RURAL COMMITTEES OR BY DISTRICT OFFICE STAFF WHO ARE IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH THE RURAL COMMUNITY.
WHEN A REQUEST FOR A LPW PROJECT IS RECEIVED, A BRIEF APPRAISAL WOULD BE MADE BY THE STAFF OF THE WORKS SECTION, FOLLOWED BY SITE VISIT AND PREPARATION OF THE WORK PLAN.
NEARLY ALL PROJECTS ARE CARRIED OUT UNDER A CONTRACT SYSTEM WHEREBY STAFF OF THE WORKS SECTION PRODUCE SETS OF DETAILED DRAWINGS AND BILLS OF LADEN, AND THEN CALL FOR TENDERS.
A PROJECT WOULD NORMALLY BE COMPLETED WITHIN FOUR MONTHS AFTER IT HAD BEEN CONTRACTED OUT.
FOR 1985, ABOUT 80 LPW PROJECTS HAVE EITHER BEEN COMPLETED OR BEING BUILT, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A VAN TRACK BETWEEN SHA LO WAN AND SHAM WATT ON LANTAU IMPROVEMENT TO WATER SUPPLIES AT SHEUNG LING PEI TSUEN, TUNG CHUNG THE RENOVATION OF A PLAYGROUND AT TUNG WAN ON CHEUNG CHAU ISLAND WHICH WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A $300 000 DONATION BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB.
COMPLEMENTARY TO THESE ARE OTHER PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED THROUGH
THE LPW MACHINERY SUCH AS THE MINOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE FACILITIES PROJECTS PROVIDING SPECIFIC FACILITIES SUCH AS AMENITY PLANTING, LATRINES AND REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS, WHICH BEAUTIFY AND IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR THE ISLANDERS.
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MA ON SHAN GHOST TOWN TO BOOM TOWN
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TODAY THE LOUDEST SOUND TO BE HEARD IN THE NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGE OF MA ON SHAN IS THE RUSHING OF THE STREAM AS IT TUMBLES PAST HOUSES CLINGING TO THE MOUNTAIN SIDE.
THE HOUSES ARE LARGELY DESERTED FOR THE ONCE-THRIVING VILLAGE OF 5 000 IS NOW HOME TO ONLY 170 PEOPLE, MOSTLY ELDERLY OR CHILDREN BEING LOOKED AFTER BY THEIR GRANDPARENTS.
MA ON SHAN (ITS NAME MEANS HORSE SADDLE MOUNTAIN) BEGAN TO DIE IN 1976 WHEN ITS MAIN REASON FOR EXISTENCE, AN IRON MINE, CLOSED DOWN.
/BUT JUST .******