WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1992
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT ACHIEVED IN SLOPE SAFETY
VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN SQUATTER SAFETY FROM LANDSLIDES HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED WITH ALMOST ALL THE
THE HILLSIDES IN URBAN AREA WHICH WERE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO LANDSLIPS HAVING BEEN CLEARED UNDER THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S SQUATTER CLEARANCE PROGRAMME IN THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALBERT CHAN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR WORKS,
IS MR HUGH PHILLIPSON, SAID THE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE (GEO)
OF THE CARRYING OUT STUDIES OF LANDSLIP HAZARDS TO SQUATTERS IN SOME LESS DANGEROUS URBAN HILLSIDES AND IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
SQUATTERS VULNERABLE TO LANDSLIP HAZARDS WERE ALSO CLEARED ON A NEED BASIS.
"THE GOVERNMENT'S LANDSLIP WARNING SYSTEM IS IN USE AGAIN THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE WARNING OF THE PROBABLE OCCURRENCE OF LANDSLIPS ON STEEP HILLSIDES, AND TO URGE SQUATTERS TO BE CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY AND ΤΟ TAKE REFUGE IN THE TEMPORARY SHELTERS PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, MR PHILLIPSON SAID.
T
A SLOPE AFFECTING A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OR A ROAD 19 DESIGNATED AS DANGEROUS BY THE GEO WHERE IT HAS AN INADEQUATE MARGIN OF SAFETY AND WHERE SLOPE FAILURE WOULD INVOLVE A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO LIFE.
"EXISTING SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS WHICH ARE FOUND ΤΟ BE UNSAFE ARE RECTIFIED UNDER THE GOVERNMENT'S LONG-TERM LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURES PROGRAMME, HE SAID.
"
HE SAID THE PROGRAMME ALSO INCLUDES STABILISATION OF SOME UNSATISFACTORY GOVERNMENT SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS.
SUCH COLLAPSE, MR PHILLIPSON SAID, COULD INDIRECTLY CAUSE
TO LEAD OF LIFE BY MAJOR DISRUPTION TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, OR ECONOMIC DISRUPTION.
LOSS MAJOR
IN ADDITION, HE SAID A GREAT DEAL OF STABILISATION WORK HAS BEEN DONE IN ASSOCIATION WITH NEW GOVERNMENT PROJECTS AND BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
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