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Removal operation against cooling towers
The Buildings Department has launched a large-scale operation since March 1 to remove abandoned and dilapidated water cooling towers from buildings in the industrial areas of Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung, and Kwun Tong to protect public safety.
Giving details of the operation this (Wednesday) morning, the Department's Chief Building Surveyor (Control and Enforcement), Mr Au Choi-kai, estimated some 1,800 cooling towers in 720 buildings would need to be removed,
A dedicated team, headed by a senior engineer and comprising five technical staff, has been set up for the task. The whole operation will take about 30 months to complete.
Mr Au said a similar operation, successfully completed in November last year, had been carried out in Chai Wan and San Po Kong since January 1995.
"During the first operation, we inspected 145 industrial buildings and subsequently identified 1,043 abandoned or defective water cooling towers and air- conditioner supporting frames.
"A total of 1,043 advisory letters and 572 removal orders were then served on the owners and occupants requiring them to remove those unauthorised building
works.
"We are glad that at the end, all the dangerous towers and structures were removed by the owners voluntarily and no Government enforcement action was needed," Mr Au said.
He pointed out that most of the owners were very co-operative in the removal operation as they all realised the danger posed by abandoned cooling towers.
"I would urge all owners and occupants of industrial buildings in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Chung and Kwun Tong to render the same support to our staff to remove the dangerous structures," he said.
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