XN000022-1978-06-21 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 1978

RECENT FLOODINGS IN NT EXPLAINED

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AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, EXPLAINED THE REASONS FOR THE RECENT FLOODINGS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. PETER C. WONG, MR. MCDONALD SAID FLOODING OCCURRED IN TAI PO ON LOW-LYING AREAS NEAR TAI HANG VILLAGE ON THE NIGHT OF JUNE 6 AND EARLY MORNING OF JUNE 7 WHEN RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF 160 MM WAS RECORDED.

THE PRINCIPAL REASON FOR THE FLOODING, HE SAID, WAS THE PARTIAL BLOCKAGE OF CULVERTS IN THE AREA BY DOMESTIC REFUSE WHICH REDUCED THE CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE STREAM COURSES.

+TWO LOW-LYING SECTIONS OF THE OLD TAI PO ROAD THROUGH SHA TIN WERE ALSO FLOODED IN EARLY JUNE, MR. MCDONALD SAID.

+HERE THE CAUSE WAS THE RESTRICTION TO STORMWATER FLOW CREATED BY THE HIGHER GROUND LEVEL OF ADJACENT NEW DEVELOPMENT AND THE INADEQUATE DRAINAGE PROVISIONS IN THESE SECTIONS OF THE OLD ROADS.+

HE SAID THAT THE SITUATION WOULD BE RECTIFIED WHEN ALL SECTIONS OF THE NEW ROAD WERE OPENED TO TRAFFIC AND THE OLD ROAD FILLED OVER.

HE ADDED THAT THE FINAL SECTION OF THE NEW ROAD WORKS WOULD BE COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT MONTH AND IN THE INTERIM TEMPORARY DIVERSION ARRANGEMENTS ALONG THE NEW ROAD WOULD BE BROUGHT INTO EFFECT IF FURTHER HEAVY RAINSTORMS OCCURRED.

REFERRING TO THE FLOODING OF THE OLD CASTLE PEAK ROAD IN TUEN MUN, MR. MCDONALD SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY THE BLOCKAGE OF CROSS-ROAD DRAINAGE BY DEBRIS CARRIED DOWN THE STREAM COURSES AFTER HEAVY RAIN.

HE SAID THE FLOODING ABATED WHEN THE INTAKES WERE CLEARED. WITH THE OPENING OF THE NEW TUEN MUN ROAD TRAFFIC FLOW ON THE OLD ROAD HAD GREATLY REDUCED AND DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT WORKS WERE BEING CARRIED OUT.

IN THE SAN HUI AREA OF TUEN MUN MR. MCDONALD SAID, SOME FLOODING WAS CAUSED BY A CONTRACTOR'S TEMPORARY WORKS IN THE MAIN RIVER CHANNEL. THESE TEMPORARY WORKS HAD ALREADY BEEN REMOVED.

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