XN000022-1985-11-06 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1985

SQUATTER CLEARANCE A SOLUTION TO ILLEGAL TAPPING

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THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO ELIMINATING ILLEGAL TAPPING OF WATER SUPPLY AND ELECTRICITY IN SQUATTER AREAS LAY IN THE CLEARANCE OF THESE AREAS AND PLANS TO CLEAR AND REHOUSE ALL SQUATTERS IN THE URBAN AREAS WITHIN FIVE TO 10 YEARS HAVE ALREADY STARTED,

THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON Y.L. PANG, TOLD THE LÉGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON CONRAD LAM, HE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL TAPPING OF WATER SUPPLY IN SQUATTER AREAS EXISTED MAINLY WHERE STANDPIPE WATER SUPPLY WAS AVAILABLE AND +THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION+ WAS THEREFORE TO PROVIDE A METERED CONNECTION.

+TO THIS END, WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT'S CURRENT PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE METERED SUPPLY TO 740 SQUATTER AREAS AND NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGES IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT THREE YEARS' TIME, + MR PANG SAID.

+ IN PARALLEL TO THIS, UNDER THE SQUATTER AREAS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME, HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS AT PRESENT CARRYING OUT 11 SIMILAR PROJECTS IN SQUATTER AREAS, WITH A FURTHER 45 PROJECTS PLANNED OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS.

+WITH THE COMPLETION OF ALL THESE PROJECTS, THE MAJORITY OF SQUATTER AREAS IN THE TERRITORY WILL HAVE A METERED SUPPLY, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL TAPPING OF WATER WOULD NO LONGER ARISE,+ HE ADDED.

TURNING TO THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL TAPPING OF ELECTRICITY IN SQUATTER AREAS, MR PANG SAID THE PROBLEM EXISTED MAINLY WHERE

A LEGAL SUPPLY WAS AVAILABLE AND WAS MOST SERIOUS IN WONG TAI SIN AND KWUN TONG.

MR PANG NOTED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS BEING TACKLED ON TWO FRONTS - ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION.

ON THE ENFORCEMENT FRONT, THE POLICE, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE POWER COMPANY, CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAD STEPPED UP ACTION AGAINST SUCH ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES. SINCE JANUARY THIS YEAR, 236 PERSONS INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL TAPPING OF ELECTRICITY HAD BEEN ARRESTED.

ON THE EDUCATION FRONT, THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS CONCERNED HAD INTENSIFIED THEIR EFFORTS TO EDUCATE RESIDENTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF TAPPING ELECTRICITY ILLEGALLY AND ADVISE THEM TO APPLY FOR A LEGAL CONNECTION.

MR PANG SAID THAT THE FIGHT CRIME COMMITTEE WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE TRIAD INVOLVEMENT IN THE ILLEGAL SUPPLIES OF WATER AND ELECTRICITY IN SQUATTER AREAS.

+A WORK ING GROUP ON 'GANGS' UNDER THE COMMITTEE HAD STUDIED THE PROBLEMS AND ITS RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING CONSIDERED BY THE DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED, + HE ADDED.

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