XN000022-1978-05-24 — Page 22

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 24, 1978

CHAI WAN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA TO BE CLOSED

FAMILIES TO GET FLATS AT YUE WAN

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A TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA AT CHAI WAN SUBJECT TO FLOODING AFTER VERY HEAVY RAIN IS DUE TO BE CLOSED IN AUGUST, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON. DONALD LIAO, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR. THE HON. HENRY HU.

ABOUT 300 ELIGIBLE FAMILIES LIVING THERE ARE TO BE OFFERED PUBLIC HOUSING AT THE ADJOINING YUE WAN ESTATE.

MR. LIAO EARLIER VISITED THE AFFECTED TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA, SAW FOR HIMSELF THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FLOODING, SPOKE WITH RESIDENTS AND A MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE MEMBER, AND TOLD THEM THAT MODERN FLATS IN THE LATEST PHASE OF YUE WAN HAD BEEN EARMARKED FOR THE 1,500 PEOPLE CONCERNED.

IN HIS REPLY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY MR. LIAO SAID THERE WERE ALTOGETHER FOUR TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS AT CHAI WAN WITH A TOTAL CAPACITY FOR 10,900 PEOPLE BUT AT PRESENT ONLY 7,500 PEOPLE WERE LIVING THERE.

ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR WAS AN OLD-STYLE TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA, AND THIS WAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING BECAUSE CONSIDERABLE ENGINEERING WORKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD HAD LOWERED THE LEVEL OF THE AREA WHILE RECLAMATION WORK HAD BLOCKED TWO OF THE THREE DRAINAGE OUTLETS.

+TO ALLEVIATE FLOODING THE WATER DRAINS WERE RE-CHANNELLED LAST MONTH, SAID MR. LIAO. +TWENTY FAMILIES WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THE RECENT FLOODING HAVE BEEN OFFERED AND HAVE ACCEPTED PUBLIC HOUSING IN NEARBY ESTATES.+

MR. LIAO SAID THE OTHER THREE TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS WERE THE MORE MODERN TYPE WITH PART-BUILT STRUCTURES, ELECTRICITY AND WATER SUPPLIES TO INDIVIDUAL HOMES, SECURITY AND CLEANSING SERVICES.

+THESE AREAS ARE SPACIOUS BY COMPARISON AND LIVING CONDITIONS THERE ARE GOOD, HE SAID.

THE ONLY REMAINING PROBLEM WAS THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE NEWEST TEMPORARY HOUSING AREA, AN UNMETALLED ROAD WHICH ALSO PROVIDED ACCESS TO THE MASS TRANS IT WORKS AREA AND WHICH HAD DETERIORATED EADLY FROM HEAVY USE.

TO REMEDY THE SITUATION THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT WAS CONSTRUCTING AN ACCESS FOOTPATH AND A DRAIN, WITH THE

WORK DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN JULY. ALSO, HE SAID, THE CONDITION OF THE ROAD ITSELF WAS BEING IMPROVED.

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