XN000022-1981-11-21 — Page 4

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 198-

MEANWHILE, THE NTSD WILL CONDUCT A SURVEY OF THE ADEQUACY OF REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICES IN THE AREA WITH AN AIM TO SEE WHETHER MORE FACILITIES WILL BE NEEDED.

AS FOR THE IRRIGATION WEIRS WHICH HAVE ACCUMULATED A LARGE AMOUNT OF BOTH AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC WASTE AS A RESULT OF INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING BY FARMERS AND VILLAGERS, THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO CARRY OUT AN OPERATION TO TIDY-UP MOST OF THEM AT PAT HEUNG AND KAM TIN AREAS.

THE AFD WILL LOOK INTO THE FEASIBILITY OF INSTALL ING SCOURING VALVES AT SOME WEIRS AS AN ON-GOING CLEARING.

THREE WE IR CLEANSING TEAMS ARE ALSO BEING FORMED AND WILL START WORK ON TUESDAY (NOVEMBER 24) TO TAKE CARE OF FUTURE MAINTENANCE OF THE CLEANLINESS OF THE WE IRS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, GRANTS AND LOANS WILL BE GIVEN TO 176 FARM OPERATIONS IN PAT HEUNG FOR THE COST OF BUILDING MATERIALS TO ERECT WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES AS A PRELUDE TO THE INTRODUCTION OF A LIMITED FARM WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES BY THE AFD.

THE FARMS ARE EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THE WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES BY THE END OF DECEMBER. SITES FOR FIVE FARM WASTE COLLECTION POINTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THE AFD IS PLANNING TO LAUNCH THE COLLECTION SERVICE ON A DOOR-TO-DOOR BASIS BEGINNING NEXT JANUARY.

IN CONNECTION WITH THIS, A COMPOSTING PLANT WILL BE SET UP AT KAI KEUNG LENG TO RECYCLE WASTE COLLECTED FROM THE FARMS WHILE PLANS TO CONSTRUCT A BIOGAS PLANT AT PAT HEUNG TO TREAT PART OF THE WASTE ARE BEING FORMULATED.

+BUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE WORK DEPENDS LARGELY ON THE FULL CO-OPERATION BY FARMERS AND VILLAGERS AS WELL AS ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, SAID MR LEUNG.

+DUMPING FARM WASTE AND REFUSE INDISCRIMINATELY INTO THE RIVER COURSE WOULD ONLY RESULT IN OBNOXIOUS SMELLS, FLIES, POOR SANITATION AND HEALTH HAZARDS,+ HE WENT ON.

WHILE STRESSING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN THE CLEANLINESS CONDITION OF THE STREAM COURSE, MR LEUNG SAID LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION WOULD ALSO BE STEPPED UP AGAINST ALL PEOPLE FOUND DUMP ING REFUSE AND AGRICULTURAL WASTE INTO THE RIVER COURSE, OFFENDERS WOULD FACE A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5 000 AND A JAIL SENTENCE OF SIX MONTHS, MR LEUNG WARNED.

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