XN000022-1986-06-14 — Page 4

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1986,

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SHING MUN RIVER TO BE CLEANED UP

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THE GOVERNMENT WILL SPEND A FEW MILLION DOLLARS THIS SUMMER TO CLEAN UP THE SHING MUN RIVER IN SHA TIN, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING THE QUEEN'S 215THDAY CELEBRATIONS AT VICTORIA PARK, SIR DAVID SAID SHING MUN WAS A VERY DIRTY AND SMELLY RIVER AND WAS DUE FOR A CLEAN-UP.

POINTING OUT THAT WORK WOULD START IN JULY OR AUGUST, HE SAID: +WE'VE NOW IDENTIFIED THE MAIN SOURCES OF POLLUTION AND WILL BE TACKLING THEM. AND AT THE SAME TIME WE WILL BE DREDGING THE RIVER BOTTOM - GETTING RID OF THE MUD, AND HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE SO SMELLY AS IT WAS BEFORE.

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HE ADDED THAT IT WAS NOT ONLY A QUESTION OF DREDGING, BUT WAS ALSO A QUESTION OF TAKING PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO STOP IT HAPPENING AGAIN.

THESE WOULD INCLUDE THE CLEARING OF EFFLUENT WHICH WENT INTO THE RIVER FROM FACTORIES AND OTHER SOURCES.

+WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EFFLUENT FROM FACTORIES GOES DOWN THE RIGHT DRAINS AND NOT INTO THE RIVER, HE NOTED.

ASKED ABOUT THE TIMING OF THE CLEAN-UP, SIR DAVID SAID THE RIVER HAD BEEN DREDGED ABOUT FOUR YEARS AGO.

+SINCE THEN THE SMELLY SILT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER HAS ACCUMULATED. SO IT'S TIME TO CLEAR IT UP AGAIN. AT THIS TIME AND BETWEEN CLEARINGS, WE MUST ALSO STOP THE SOURCES,+ HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER SOME SORT OF LEGISLATION WOULD BE ENFORCED TO STOP PEOPLE FROM POLLUTING RIVERS, SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD PUBLISHED A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON THE CONTROL OF AGRICULTURAL WASTES.

+THAT CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT HAS ALREADY GONE ROUND ALL THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE RESULTS OF THAT CONSULTATION ARE ALL IN, AND WE ARE NOW DECIDING WHAT TO DO ABOUT AGRICULTURAL WASTES.+

SIR DAVID ADDED THAT THIS WOULD HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON SHING MUN RIVER BECAUSE THERE WERE MANY PIGS IN THE SHING MUN AREA.

ASKED WHETHER OTHER RIVERS WOULD ALSO BE CLEARED, SIR DAVID SAID HE THOUGHT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANTED THESE RIVERS TO BE CLEANED UP.

+THEY ARE RATHER FED UP WITH THE STATE THAT THEY'VE GOT INTO. SO I THINK WE'VE ALL GOT TO MAKE A BIG EFFORT. ALL OF US, IT'S NOT JST THE GOVERNMENT. IT'S EVERYBODY THAT HAS GOT TO MAKE AN SFFORT, HE SAID.

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