XN000022-1982-06-16 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, 1982

CONTINGENCY PLANS TO EVACUATE SQUATTERS

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THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON DONALD LIAO, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT THERE WERE CONTINGENCY PLANS TO EVACUATE SQUATTERS LIVING ON SLOPES IN THE EVENT OF A HEAVY RAINSTORM OR TYPHOON WARNING.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN, MR LIAO SAID NOTICES WERE PERMANENTLY DISPLAYED IN EACH SQUATTER AREA ADVISING RESIDENTS AS TO WHOM THEY SHOULD CONTACT FOR ASSISTANCE.

IN ADDITION, HE SAID, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE RAINY SEASON EACH YEAR, ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE REMINDING RESIDENTS OF THE POTENTIAL RISK AND GIVING THE LOCATION OF TEMPORARY SHELTERS WHERE THEY SHOULD SEEK REFUGE IN THE EVENT OF HEAVY RAIN OR A TYPHOON WARNING.

+DURING A RAINSTORM OR TYPHOON, STAFF OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, THE POLICE, AND THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT VISIT VULNERABLE SQUATTER AREAS, AND REPEAT THESE WARNINGS BY VARIOUS MEANS, INCLUDING POSTING OF NOTICES.

+AS A RESULT, DURING THE DOWNPOUR AT THE END OF LAST MONTH, 9 500 PEOPLE EVACUATED THE IR HUTS OF THIS NUMBER ABOUT 2 000 MOVED TO TEMPORARY SHELTERS AND THE REMAINDER STAYED TEMPORARILY WITH FRIENDS OR RELATIVES.+

MR LIAO SAID THE RECENT RAINSTORMS HAD AGAIN DEMONSTRATED THE DANGERS OF SQUATTING ON NATURAL SLOPES, MOST OF WHICH WERE TO SOME EXTENT VULNERABLE TO LANDSLIDES IN EXTREME WEATHER COND IT IONS.

+THERE ARE OVER 200 000 SQUATTERS LIVING IN HUTS ON THE FRINGES OF THE MAIN URBAN AREAS. THESE HUTS, GENERALLY BUILT ON SLOPES, ARE THEREFORE AT RISK, HE SAID.

AS AN INDICATION OF THIS SITUATION, HE SAID, DURING THE RECENT RAINSTORMS WHICH WERE THE WORST FOR MANY YEARS, SOME 2 500 SQUATTER HUTS WERE IDENTIFIED AS BEING AT RISK AND WERE TEMPORARILY EVACUATED.

+ALL THE AREAS AFFECTED HAVE NOW BEEN INSPECTED BY ENGINEERS FROM THE GEOTECHNICAL CONTROL OFFICE- OVER 1 000 HUTS MUST BE PERMANENTLY EVACUATED AND SOME 5 000 PERSONS REHOUSED, + HE SAID.