XN000022-1975-04-25 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 1975

KEEPING THE NULLAHS CLEAR

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THE GOVERNMENT IS STEPPING UP ITS EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT DRAINAGE NULLAHS CANNOT BECOME BLOCKED AS A RESULT OF INTAKE PIPES FOR FLUSHING WATER SUPPLIES FITTED INSIDE THE NULLAHS,

SOME OF THESE PIPES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ILLEGALLY, OTHERS, ALTHOUGH COVERED BY A LICENCE, CAN LEAD TO A BLOCKAGE OF THE NÜLLAH BECAUSE OF THEIR SHAPE, LOCATION, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED OR BECAUSE THE LICENSEES HAVE FAILED TO KEEP THEM IN A GOOD STATE OF REPAIR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CIVIL ENGINEERING OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT POINTED OUT TODAY THAT EITHER TYPE OF INTAKE, WHETHER ILLEGAL OR BADLY MAINTAINED, COULD GIVE RISE TO A FLOOD DANGER WHICH MIGHT IN TURN LEAD TO SOIL STABILITY HAZARDS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.

THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION, HE ADDED, WAS TO REMOVE ALL UNAUTHORIZED INTAKES AND TO REQUIRE ACTION EITHER TO MODIFY OR TO REMOVE ANY LICENSED INTAKE LIKELY TO CAUSE A BLOCKAGE.

AS A FIRST STEP LETTERS HAVE BEEN SENT TO ALL LICENSEES ASKING THEM TO MARK THE LICENCE NUMBERS ON THE PIPES. AFTER INSPECTION, THE LICENSEES WILL BE TOLD WHAT IMPROVEMENTS, IF ANY, NEED TO BE DONE TO ENSURE THAT THE PIPES WOULD NOT CAUSE BLOCKAGE TO THE NULLAH FLOW.

A REASONABLE TIME WILL BE ALLOWED FOR SUCH REPAIRS AND ALTERATIONS TO BE MADE, BUT IF NOTHING IS DONE THE AUTHORITIES WILL BE ABLE AS A LAST RESORT TO CANCEL THE LICENCES AND HAVE THE PIPES REMOVED.

IN CASES WHERE NO IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE AND THE PIPES HAVE TO BE REMOVED, THE LICENSEE WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY TO THE WATER AUTHORITY FOR AN ALTERNATIVE FLUSHING WATER SUPPLY.

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