MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1994
SEWAGE PROGRAMME TO CURTAIL POLLUTION
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IN RESPONSE TO RECENT QUERIES ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAMME (HPP), A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE NEW SEWAGE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT SYSTEM TO BE PROVIDED UNDER THIS PRIORITY PROGRAMME WOULD REMOVE OVER 95% OF E.COLI (AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED INDICATOR FOR MEASURING BACTERIAL POLLUTION), UP TO 80% SUSPENDED SOLIDS, 70% OF TOXIC METALS AND 65% OF BOD (BIOLOGICAL OXYGEN DEMAND, A MEASUREMENT OF ORGANIC POLLUTION).
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IN GENERAL TERMS, THEREFORE, THE HPP WOULD CURTAIL HARBOUR POLLUTION BY 70%.
THE HPP CONSISTS OF A SERIES OF SEWERAGE WORKS IN THE MAIN URBAN AREAS TO ENSURE THE PROPER COLLECTION OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT AND DOMESTIC SEWAGE AND CONVEY THIS WASTEWATER SOME 1.5 MILLION CUBIC METRES A DAY FOR TREATMENT AT STONECUTTERS ISLAND BEFORE DISPOSAL IN THE WESTERN HARBOUR.
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THE TREATMENT PROCESS,
BE ENHANCED BY CHEMICAL SEDIMENTATION, WOULD REDUCE 70% OF THE POLLUTANT LOADS.
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THE SPOKESMAN REFERRED TO THE SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS THE THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH IF THESE ARE NOT TACKLED, AND то THE INCREASING LEVELS OF FOOD-BORNE DISEASES AND THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK THIS SUMMER.
AT THE RECENT JOINT LIAISON GROUP EXPERTS MEETING HELD BETWEEN THE HONG KONG EXPERTS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS FROM CHINA, BOTH SIDES RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR AN EARLY SOLUTION TO POLLUTION IN THE VICTORIA HARBOUR AND FURTHER EXCHANGES ON THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE OVERALL STRATEGIC SEWAGE DISPOSAL SCHEME.
THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM ANSWERING THE CHINESE EXPERTS' QUESTIONS.
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NO CHANGE IN POLICY ON QUALIFYING AGE FOR ELDERLY SERVICE
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SPOKESMAN FOR THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH TODAY (MONDAY) THAT THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT POLICY IN RESPECT MINIMUM QUALIFYING AGE FOR SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY.
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IN AN INFORMATION NOTE TO THE LEGCO PANEL ON WELFARE SERVICES, THE HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH POINTED OUT THAT THOUGH THE WORKING GROUP ON CARE FOR THE ELDERLY RECOMMENDED THAT PLANNING RATIO FOR THE PROVISION OF WELFARE SERVICES TO THE ELDERLY SHOULD BE BASED ON THE TARGET POPULATION AGED 65 OR ABOVE, PERSONS AGED BETWEEN 60 AND 65 WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR THE ELDERLY WHERE THERE WAS A PROVEN NEED.
"THE WORKING GROUP ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY SHOULD BE CONDUCTED TO ASSESS THE NEEDS OF ELDERLY PEOPLE SO THAT MORE REALISTIC PLANNING TARGETS COULD BE DEVISED.
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