XN000022-1982-01-18 — Page 11

MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1982

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WATER FIGURES ***

WATER STORAGE IN HONG KONG'S RESERVOIRS AT 9 AM TODAY (MONDAY) STOOD AT 44.1 PER CENT OR 254.868 MILLION CUBIC METRES, EQUIVALENT TO 212 DAYS' CONSUMPTION.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR THE RESERVOIRS CONTAINED 293.571 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF WATER, OR 50.8 PER CENT OF CAPACITY.

PRIMARY PUPILS JOIN VEGETABLE GARDENING CONTEST

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MORE THAN 70 URBAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS HAVE TAKEN PART IN THIS YEAR'S VEGETABLE-GARDENING COMPETITION ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, AND JUDGING WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY (JANUARY 20).

THE PARTICIPANTS HAVE GROWN TOMATO, BUSH BEAN, CABBAGE AND BROCCOLI.

+THE VEGETABLE-GROWING COMPETITION IS A MEANINGFUL EXERCISE THROUGH WHICH PUPILS HAVE THE CHANCE TO PRACTISE WHAT THEY LEARNED FROM TEXTBOOKS, AND WHICH AROUSES THEIR AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

→PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS ALSO FIND THIS EVENT FEASIBLE BECAUSE THE VEGETABLES ARE GROWN IN POTS THUS SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF INSUFFICIENT GARDENING PLOTS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SAID.

SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR'S COMPETITION BEGAN PLANTING THE FOUR VEGETABLES IN SEPTEMBER. ALL THE WORK, FROM SEED-PLANTING TO HARVEST, WAS DONE BY THE PUPILS THEMSELVES, UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF TEACHERS.

OFFICERS FROM THE PRIMARY SCIENCE SECTION OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S ADVISORY INSPECTORATE HAD VISITED THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS DURING THE PLANTING PERIOD, AND HELPED TEACHERS IN CHARGE WITH ANY PROBLEMS THEY HAD, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

JUDGING WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S TEACHING CENTRE AT 4 PAK FUK ROAD, NORTH POINT. THE PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY WILL BE HELD THAT SAME AFTERNOON AT 2.30 PM.

THE PANEL OF JUDGES WILL BE HEADED BY MR C.S. PAO, HORTICULTURIST OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.

AN EXHIBITION OF SELECTED ENTRIES WILL BE HELD AT THE TEACHING CENTRE ON JANUARY 20 AND 21, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.

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