XN000022-1982-09-11 — Page 4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1982

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UNDERGRADS HELP WITH CLEAN-UP OF RIVER

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AN ALL-OUT EFFORT TO CLEAN UP THE POLLUTED RIVER INDUS AT NORTH DISTRICT MOVED INTO HIGH GEAR THIS WEEK AS MORE THAN 100 UNDERGRADUATES JOINED WORKERS UNDERTAKING THE 90-DAY-LONG CLEANING TASK THERE.

THE VOLUNTARY WORKERS FROM HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG, THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, BAPTIST COLLEGE AND SHUE YAN COLLEGE JOINED THE OPERATION AS A COMMUNITY-INVOLVEMENT PROJECT.

THE EFFORT HIGHLIGHTED THE CURRENT CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS STILL IN FULL SWING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

FROM LAST MONDAY, THE STUDENTS HELPED CLEAR AWAY SIX LORRY-LOADS OF GARBAGE FROM A SECTION OF THE WATER COURSE AT CHAMPAGNE BRIDGE, NEAR KWAN TEI IN FANLING.

AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER GROUP OF UNDERGRADUATES CALLED ON FARMERS AND VILLAGERS AT THE RIVER BANK, CARRYING THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN MESSAGE.

TODAY THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (NORTH REGION) OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR BOWEN LEUNG, VISITED THE VOLUNTARY WORKERS AND COMMENDED THEM FOR THEIR WORK.

HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THEIR ENDEAVOURS WOULD HELP MAKE A SUCCESS OF THIS FOURTH MASSIVE CLEARANCE AT THE RIVER INDUS SINCE 1977.

THE PREVIOUS EFFORTS TO KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN HAD FAILED BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE OF FARM WASTE AND THE DUMPING OF REFUSE BY BOTH PIG FARMERS AND VILLAGERS, MR LEUNG SAID.

THIS YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO SPEND MORE THAN $400 000 IN CONDUCTING ANOTHER OPERATION ON THE 24 KILOMETRES RIVER COURSE RUNNING THROUGH MOST OF FANLING AND SHEUNG SHUI, HE ADDED.

FIFTY WORKERS HAD BEEN SPECIALLY DEPLOYED FOR THE CLEAN-UP WORK SINCE EARLY JULY.

WHEN THIS OPERATION IS COMPLETED, ENFORCEMENT ACTION WILL BE STEPPED UP AGAINST LITTER OFFENDERS, MR LEUNG WARNED.

HE SAID LITTERBUG FACED A MAXIMUM FINE OF $5 000 AND

A POSSIBLE JAIL SENTENCE OF SIX MONTHS.

MR LEUNG URGED THE VILLAGERS TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE WASTE AND REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICES AND DUMPING SITES ESPECIALLY PROVIDED FOR THEM.

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