42 -
Water pollution in Tolo Harbour
The following is a question by Rey the Hon Fung Chi-wood and a written reply by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Tony Eason, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
Despite a number of work projects and measures being taken by the Government to tackle the water quality problem in Tolo Harbour, no improvement has been made to the problems of water pollution and red tides, as evidenced by the recurrence of the red tides problem which has resulted in the death of large quantities of fish and the emission of stench affecting nearly half of the district of Tai Po. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
(b)
whether the continued existence of water pollution and red tides is an indication that the existing measures adopted have had no practical effects or that there are problems in the enforcement of these measures; and
whether, apart from the projects launched by the Government to divert sewage to other places, consideration will be given to removing the pollutants in the water by dredging the silt on the seabed in order to solve the water pollution problem in Tolo Harbour on a permanent basis?
Reply:
Mr President,
The statement in the preamble to the question that there has been no improvement to water quality in Tolo Harbour is incorrect. The answers to (a) and (b) are as follows: