XN000022-1983-03-12 — Page 5

SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1983

SECOND CLEAN-UP AT KAM TIN RIVER

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A SECOND CLEAN-UP IS BEING CARRIED OUT ALONG THE MOST POLLUTED STREAM COURSE OF THE KAM TIN RIVER IN YUEN LONG, TO IMPROVE FURTHER ITS GENERAL ENVIRONMENT.

THE EFFORT HIGHLIGHTS THE CURRENT 1983 CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, NOW IN FULL SWING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS MOBILISED 40 WORKERS AND SEVERAL VEHICLES FOR THE SEVEN-WEEK OPERATION, WHICH BEGAN EARLY LAST MONTH.

THE YUEN LONG URBAN SERVICE OFFICER MR KWONG WAI-LIM, WHO ASSUMED HIS OFFICE RECENTLY, AND THE DISTRICT SENIOR HEALTH INSPECTOR (CLEANSING), MR YIP CHUN-HEI, COMMANDED THE OPERATION.

MORE THAN 55 TONNES OF POLLUTANTS, INCLUDING SOLID FARM WASTE WERE CLEARED AWAY FROM THE RIVER COURSE BETWEEN KAM TSIN WAI AND NG KA TSUEN IN THE LAST FIVE WEEKS.

THIS IS THE SECOND MASSIVE CLEARANCE AT THE RIVER SINCE EARLY LAST YEAR, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT SPENT ABOUT $4 MILLION FOR A 'SCRUB-UP' OPERATION COINCIDING WITH THE 1982 CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NTSD SAID.

DESPITE THE PREVIOUS CLEAN UP WORK, THE STREAM WAS AGAIN POLLUTED BY PIG AND DOMESTIC WASTE DISCHARGED BY FARMERS AND VILLAGERS.

A NUMBER OF FARMERS HAD BEEN CAUGHT HOSING FARM WASTE INTO THE RIVER COURSE. TWO OF THEM WERE FINED A RECORD SUM OF $2 000 EACH FOR THE OFFENCE BY COURTS LAST MAY.

THE MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR SUCH AN OFFENCE IS A $5 000 FINE AND JAIL SENTENCE OF SIX MONTHS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE SUCCESS OF THE CLEAN-UP WOULD DEPEND ON THE FARMERS AND VILLAGERS MAKING FULL USE OF THE COLLECTION SERVICES ESPECIALLY PROVIDED FOR THEM IN THE AREA.

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