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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1993
THE CHIEF SECRETARY WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE MARINE DEPARTMENT INTENDED TO ADOPT A MORE POSITIVE ROLE IN CONTROLLING, MONITORING INSPECTING DANGEROUS GOODS IN HONG KONG.
AND
USING THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME DANGEROUS GOODS CODE WHICH HAS BEEN RATIFIED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA AMONGST MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, INITIAL ACTIVITIES WILL FOCUS ON THE OCEAN GOING TRADE.
THE CHIEF SECRETRAY FIRST VISITED THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS IN HARBOUR BUILDING, PIER ROAD, CENTRAL.
ACCOMPANIED BY MR PYRKE, SIR DAVID THEN BOARDED THE MARINE DEPARTMENT LAUNCH "TIN HAU" FOR STONECUTTERS ISLAND.
SIR DAVID SAW THE $655 MILLION CONSTRUCTION WORKS FOR THE REPROVISIONING OF THE GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD ON
ON THE NORTHEAST OF STONECUTTERS ISLAND WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION IN EARLY 1995.
THE NEW GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD WILL HAVE SEVEN HECTARES OF LAND AREA AND 8.3 HECTARES OF SEA AREA COMPARED WITH THE EXISTING DOCKYARD'S 2.4 HECTARES OF LAND AREA AND 3.6 HECTARES OF SEA AREA.
THE PARTY THEN WENT TO THE EXISTING GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD IN CANTON ROAD WHERE SIR DAVID INSPECTED THE WORKS ARBAS AND CHATTED WITH DOCKYARD STAFF.
BEFORE RETURNING TO QUEEN'S PIER, SIR DAVID VIEWED THE CHINA FERRY TERMINAL IN TSIM SHA TSUI.
GURKHAS COMPLETE MERCY MISSION IN NEPAL
* * * *
THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF 68 GURKHA FIELD SQUADRON OF THE QUEENS GURKHA ENGINEERS WILL RETURN FROM NEPAL ON SATURDAY, HAVING COMPLETED POSSIBLY THE MOST DEMANDING BRIDGING TASK EVER ACCOMPLISHED BY MILITARY ENGINEERS IN PEACE TIME.
THE HONG KONG-BASED SQUADRON WAS DEPLOYED ON JULY 31 IN TO THE PLEA FROM THE NEPAL GOVERNMENT FOR AID FOLLOWING THE MONSOON IN MEMORY WHICH DEVASTATED LARGE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
ANSWER WORST
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME BRITISH GURKHAS WERE DEPLOYED TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY. THEY WERE TASKED WITH BUILDING THREE BRIDGES ALONG THE VITAL PRITHVI HIGHWAY WHICH LINKED THE CAPITAL, KATHMANDU, WITH THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY AND THE MAIN TRADE LINK TO INDIA.
THEIR TASK INITIALLY SEEMED STRAIGHTFORWARD AND A BAILEY BRIDGE, FLOWN TO NEPAL FROM HONG KONG BY A GIANT ANTONOV TRANSPORT, THE LARGEST AIRCRAFT TO FLY IN OR OUT OF HONG
KONG, WAS CONSTRUCTED IN RECORD TIME.
THE FOLLOWNG DAY, "THE SON OF THE 'MOTHER OF ALL MONSOONS STRUCK AND THE NEW BRIDGE WAS WITHIN 18 INCHES OF BEING WASHED AWAY.
/THE PRELIMINARY