XN000022-1982-04-27 — Page 8

TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1982

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HONG KONG CAN BE KEPT CLEAN, SAYS NTSD CHIEF

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MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MUST BE MADE MORE CONSCIOUS OF THE EFFECT OF INDISCRIMINATE LITTERING, THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR JIMMY SWEETMAN SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

+THE PLACE CAN BE KEPT CLEAN, HE STRESSED.

SPEAKING AT THE MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TODAY (TUESDAY) MR SWEETMAN CITED AS AN EXAMPLE THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY WHERE PEOPLE HAVE FROM THE START BEEN MADE CONSCIOUS OF THE ANTI-SOCIAL EFFECTS OF LITTERING,

HE SAID THAT TO IMPROVE THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE RURAL POPULATION, THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD BE STARTING AN EXPERIMENT NEXT MONTH BY CONTRACTING OUT THE CLEANSING OF FOUR VILLAGES TO THE AGENTS OF THE LOCAL RURAL COMMITTEE, HE SAID.

+ IT IS HOPED WITH THIS LOCAL INVOLVEMENT, PEOPLE WILL BREAK AWAY FROM THE HABIT OF THINKING THAT IT IS THÉ GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THE PLACE CLEAN AND START THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN COMMUNAL RESPONSIBILITY, HE CONTINUED.

+THIS SHOULD IMPROVE THE IR SENSE OF BELONGING AND PRIDE

IN THE ENVIRONMENT,+ MR SWEETMAN ADDED.

ON THE PART BEING PLAYED BY THE NTSD, MR SWEETMAN SAID HIS DEPARTMENT NOW HAD PLENTY OF REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. THIS HAD RAISED THE CLEANSING WORKERS' MORALE BECAUSE THEY WERE SURE THAT A VEHICLE WOULD ARRIVE AT A CERTAIN TIME AND THEY WERE THEREFORE BETTER MOTIVATED TOWARDS DOING A GOOD JOB, HE SAID,

MEANWHILE, THE NTSD WAS ALSO CONDUCTING A REVIEW OF THE CLEANSING SERVICES WHICH HE HOPED WOULD NOT ONLY PROVIDE À BETTER SERVICE BUT ALSO A FAR MORE ECONOMICAL ONE IN THE FUTURE.

HE SAID THAT WHEN THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN CONCLUDES TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE NTSD WOULD REVIEW ITS SUCCESSES AND FAILURES AND MODIFY THESE SUCCESSES INTO PROVIDING PERMANENT NEW SERVICES, SUCH AS THE REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE FOR BOAT SQUATTERS.

BUT RURAL POLLUTION, PARTICULARLY AGRICULTURAL WASTE, WAS A JOB NOT YET SUCCESSFULLY TACKLED, MR SWEETMAN ADMITTED, ADDING, WE ARE GAINING SOME EXPERIENCE THROUGH PHYSICALLY COLLECTING PIG WASTE, BUT THIS IS EXPENSIVE.+

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WAS THEREFORE ENGAGING CONSULTANTS TO REPORT BACK BY THE END OF THIS YEAR ON HOW BEST TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM, HE SAID.

/+PRIORITY AREAS