XN000022-1985-09-10 — Page 19

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1985

18

EXTENSIVE TRIALS IN SAI KUNG AND YUEN LONG BETWEEN MARCH 1983 AND AUGUST 1984 FOUND THAT IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES COULD THEIR SELF-CLOSING BE DERIVED FROM USING THE NEW TYPE CONTAINERS.

LIDS SHARPLY REDUCED SMELL AND THE NUISANCE OF FLIES.

MR LI ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE BIGGER CAPACITY OF THE RECTANGULAR CONTAINERS AND MECHANICAL LOADING WOULD SPEED UP THE COLLECTION PROCESS AND THEREBY REDUCE THE NUISANCE AND ANNOYANCE ASSOCIATED WITH REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE.

AT PRESENT. TWO RECTANGULAR-CONTAINER REFUSE COLLECTION VEHICLE ROUTES WERE IN OPERATION IN THE YUEN LONG AND SAI KUNG DISTRICTS. PENDING ARRIVAL OF THE NEW CONTAINERS ON ORDER, THE NEW REFUSE COLLECTION SYSTEM WOULD BE INTRODUCED TO SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN EARLY NEXT YEAR.

NEW CEMETERY TO MEET ISLANDS DISTRICT NEEDS

****

THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL TODAY ENDORSED A PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC CEMETERY AT MUI WO TO CATER TO THE NEEDS OF THE ISLANDS DISTRICT. THE PROPOSAL WAS PRESENTED AT THE FIRST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE BY THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE) OF THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MR LI TIN-MING, WHO SAID THAT THERE WERE ONLY 56 VACANT PLOTS LEFT AT THE TAI O PUBLIC CEMETERY ON LANTAU.

HE SAID THE FEASIBILITY OF EXTENDING TAI O CEMETERY BY FORMING NEW BURIAL TERRACES ON THE ADJACENT LAND HAD BEEN STUDIED AND RULED OUT BECAUSE OF THE PROHIBITIVELY HIGH COST OF SITE FORMATION WORK WHICH WAS DUE TO THE TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES AND GEOLOGY OF THE EXTENSION AREA.

THE PROPOSED CEMETERY SITE AT MUI WO IS ABOUT THREE HECTARES IN AREA AND ABOUT 2 700 BURIAL SPACES COULD EVENTUALLY BE PROVIDED.

STAGE OF THE PROJECT WOULD INVOLVE THE WIDENING OF THE EXISTING FOOTPATH LEADING TO THE PROPOSED SITE, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF 200-300 BURIAL SPACES TOGETHER WITH THE NECESSARY DRAINAGE AND SLOPE PROTECTION WORKS. COST OF THIS STAGE OF THE PROJECT IS ESTIMATED TO BE $1.45 MILLION.

STAGE II OF THE PROJECT, WHICH INVOLVES THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANOTHER 400-500 BURIAL PLACES, WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN ON COMPLETION OF STAGE I.

THE COMMITTEE ENDORSED THE CREATION OF A NEW ITEM IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR THE PROVISION OF THE FIRST TWO STAGES OF THE PROPOSED PUBLIC CEMETERY AT MUI WO.

/19