CO129-577-7 Water Supply- Tai Lam Chung Valley reservoir 8-8-1939 - 26-1-1940 — Page 26

SEEN BY DRPT 24./16 2014

7/12

53687139

No. 696.

ba (9)

1g 익

hfog

Sir,

21/02

засто

و مها

RECEIVED

21 NOV 1939

0, 0. REGY

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG.

8th November, 1939.

Referred in

1948

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt

of your despatch No.389 of 10th October, 1939, regarding the proposed investigation of a scheme for a water storage reservoir in the Tai Lan Chung Valley, and to inform you that I agree that construction at Tai Lan Chung should be

deferred until the conclusion of the war.

2. I am, however, of the opinion that the consulting engineers should be invited to visit Hong Kong as early as possible, in order that the preliminary work on the scheme

may not be delayed.

3.

The water supply of the Colony is at present restricted and it is possible that further reductions in supply may have to be enforced during the winter months, despite a rainfall of over eighty inches during the first ten months of this year. From 1941 onwards an increasing deficit in water resources is expected, and, since at least six years must elapse before any water from the proposed scheme will be available, it is considered that any unnecessary delay in commencing the preliminary stage of

the scheme should be avoided.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

Kenab

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

MALCOLM MACDONALD, M.P.,

&c.,

&c.

&C.,

·As.

Governor.