XN000022-1985-10-11 — Page 25

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1985

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TREE PLANTING AT CEMETERY

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SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, TODAY (FRIDAY) PLANTED A TREE IN THE GROUNDS OF CAPE COLLINSON CEMETERY TO MARK THE COMPLETION OF A BEAUTIFICATION SCHEME.

WORK BEGAN SIX MONTHS AGO TO IMPROVE THE OUTLOOK AND ENVIRONMENT OF CAPE COLLINSON WITH THE PROVISION OF ENTRANCE GATES, FLOWER BEDS AND SITTING OUT AREAS, AND THE PLANTING OF 200 TREES ALONG THE MAIN ROAD.

CAPE COLLINSON CEMETERY IS ONE OF THREE CEMETERIES RUN BY THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF THE CHINESE PERMANENT CEMETERIES, WHICH IS CHAIRED BY THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. THE OTHER CEMETERIES ARE IN ABERDEEN AND TSUEN WAN..

PRIOR TO THE TREE PLANTING CEREMONY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TOURED TSUEN WAN AND ABERDEEN TO INSPECT THE CEMETERIES AS PART OF THE IR ANNUAL VISITS BEFORE THE CHUNG YUENG AND CHING MING FESTIVALS. THE CHUNG YEUNG FESTIVAL THIS YEAR IS ON OCTOBER 22.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD, MR YUEN TAT-CHO, SAID ALL BURIALS AT THE THREE CEMETERIES BEFORE 1973 WERE PERMANENT, BUT AS LAND WAS EXHAUSTED IN THE MID-70'S, EXHUMABLE BURIAL LOTS WERE INTRODUCED.

+TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION, THE BOARD DECIDED TO ENCOURAGE CREMATION AND BUILT 40 000 NICHES AT THE THREE CEMETERIES, + MR YUEN SAID.

+ THE NINE-STOREY COLUMBARIUM AT CAPE COLLINSON PROVED TO BE VERY POPULAR, AND WE PLAN TO BUILD AT LEAST ONE HIGH-RISE COLUMBARIUM AT EACH OF THE THREE CEMETERIES, HE SAID.

A NEW COLUMBARIUM COSTING ABOUT $28 MILLION IS BEING BUILT AT THE TSUEN WAN CEMETERY WHICH WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL 30 000 NICHES.

THE BOARD WAS RECENTLY GRANTED A PIECE OF LAND MEASURING ABOUT 28 HECTARES AT LEI YUE MUN TO BUILD A NEW CEMETERY, MR YUEN SAID.

+ IT WILL PROVIDE ABOUT 20 000 EXHUMABLE GRAVES AND A COLUMBARIUM WITH 60 000 NICHES WHEN COMPLETED IN 1990, + HE ADDED.

CARRIAGEWAY CLOSURE

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THE NORTHBOUND CARRIAGEWAY OF TUNG YAN STREET BETWEEN YUE MA.. SQUARE AND KWUN TONG ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED TO TRAFFIC TO FACILITATE EMERGENCY ROAD WORKS AS A RESULT OF THE BURSTING OF WATERMAINS.

THE CLOSURE IS EXPECTED TO LAST FOR ABOUT FIVE DAYS.

VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON KWUN TONG ROAD HEADING FOR TUNG YAN STREET AND YUE MAN SQUARE WILL BE DIVERTED TO USE HIP WO STREET AND TUNG YAN STREET.