XN000022-1977-07-18 — Page 5

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MONDAY, JULY 18, 1977

HE MENTIONED THE VARIOUS POLLUTION PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG AT PRESENT, INCLUDING DOMESTIC AND OTHER SOLID WASTES, INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS, AGRICULTURAL WASTES, SEWAGE, VEHICLE EXHAUST FUMES, OTHER AIR POLLUTION AND ALL FORMS OF NOISE, AND DESCRIBED THE MEASURES TAKEN TO TACKLE THEM.

HE NOTED THAT A GREAT DEAL OF HONG KONG'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS STEM FROM THE VERY HIGH CONCENTRATION OF OUR POPULATION IN THE URBAN AREAS AND ITS ATTENDANT PROBLEMS OF OVERCROWDING, NOISE, WASTE DISPOSAL AND TRAFFIC CONGESTION.

POSITIVE STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO ALLEVIATE THIS. +THEY INCLUDE THE MAJOR PROGRAMMES NOW IN FULL SWING TO DEVELOP THE NEW TOWNS AND MARKET TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO ACCOMMODATE THE FUTURE GROWTH IN THE POPULATION IN A PLANNED AND LESS CROWDED ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.

GOOD RESPONSE TO PRE-WAR PREMISES SURVEY

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INFORMATION ON MORE THAN HALF OF THE PRE-WAR PREMISES EXISTING IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN GATHERED IN A PERIODIC FACT FINDING SURVEY TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF FUTURE PUBLIC HOUSING NEEDS.

THE COMMISSIONER OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE CO-OPERATION GIVEN BY RESIDENTS AND OWNERS OF NEARLY 10,000 UNITS AND APPEALED TO OTHERS WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN INTERVIEWED TO HELP THE DEPARTMENT'S ENUMERATORS IN THEIR SURVEY WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS MONTH,

IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, STUDENT ENUMERATORS WILL VISIT ALL THE PRE-WAR BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES TO COLLECT INFORMATION ON UP-TO-DATE RENTAL PARTICULARS, CONDITIONS OF THE BUILDINGS, AND HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND INCOME OF OCCUPANTS.

EACH ENUMERATOR WILL CARRY AN OFFICIAL IDENTITY CARD ISSUED BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.

THE COMMISSIONER OF CENSUS AND STATISTICS EMPHASISED THAT INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE KEPT IN STRICT CONFIDENCE AND WILL BE USED FOR STATISTICAL PURPOSES ONLY.

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