XN000022-1977-05-18 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1977

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EPCOM SUB-COMMITTEE MEMBERS

LOOK AT STREAM POLLUTION PROBLEMS IN N. T.

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MEMBERS OF THE WATER AND LAND POLLUTION SUB-COMMITTEE OF EPCOM, LED BY THE IR CHAIRMAN, MR. H.M.G. FORSGATE, WENT TO SHEUNG SHUI AND TA KWU LING THIS WEDNESDAY) MORNING TO LOOK AT STREAM POLLUTION PROBLEMS AND SOME OF THE WORK BEING DONE TO ALLEVIATE THEM.

AFTER A SHORT BRIEFING BY THE TAI PO DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. CLIVE OXLEY, THE PARTY MADE THEIR FIRST STOP AT THE VACATED TANNERY SITES BY THE RIVER SUTLEJ IN SHEUNG SHUF.

THE TANNERY STRUCTURES THERE HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND THE GROUND HAS BEEN LEVELLED AND COVERED BY A LAYER OF SOIL. THE RIVER ITSELF, PREVIOUSLY HEAVILY POLLUTED BY TANNERY WASTE, HAS BEEN GIVEA A. THOROUGH CLEAN-UP BY THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

THERE IS HARDLY ANY EAD SMELL, ALTHOUGH IT STILL HAS A PROELEM FROM PIG WASTE.

PLANS ARE IN HAND TO TURN THE CLEARED LAND, WHICH IS CONVENIENTLY LOCATED NEAR COMMUNITY AND TRANSPORT FACILITIES, INTO PUBLIC HOUSING SITES.

THE SUB-COMMITTEE MOVED ON NEXT TO THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT'S PIG BREEDING CENTRE IN TA KWU LING WHERE THE DEPARTMENT IS TRYING OUT DIFFERENT VETHODS OF DISPOSING PIG WASTE AND MAKING USE OF IT AS FERTILISER.

ONE COMMON METHOD IS TO COLLECT THE PIG WASTE IN A BUNKER-LIKE SUMP TO LET IT MATURE AND TURN INTO MANURE.

PIG BREEDERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO LAY OUT THE IR FARMS, ARE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE THESE BUNKERS AND NOT TO LET THE IR PIG WASTE DISCHARGE INTO STREAM COURSES.

ANOTHER METHOD BEING TRIED OUT IS A SIMPLE SEWAGE TREATMENT SYSTEM CONSTRUCTED INEXPENSIVELY AND MORE SUITABLE FOR BIGGER PIG FARMS.

AFTER LEAVING THE BREEDING CENTRE, THE PARTY MADE A FINAL INSPECTION OF PART OF THE STREAM COURSE OF THE RIVER INDUS WHERE THE WATER IS HEAVILY CONTAMINATED BY ANOTHER POLLUTING SOURCE-· DYEING WORKS SET UP BY THE RIVER'S SANK.

THE USD IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A TWO TO THREE MONTHS CLEAN-UP PROGRAMME TO RESCUE THE RIVER AND EXPECTS TO REMOVE SOME 40,000 BASKETS OF SOLID WASTE FROM THE RIVER COURSE.

THE EPCOM SUB-COMMITTEE MERE ACCOMPANIED ON THEIR VISIT THIS MORNING BY OFFICIALS FROM THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT'S ENVIRONMENT BRANCH. THEY WERE LATEF JOINED BY THE USD DEPUTY DIRECTOR (N.T.), MR. H.3. GREWAL AND THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, DR. C.T. WONG.

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