XN000022-1987-05-06 — Page 44

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1987

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+IN HONG KONG, WHERE OUR DEVELOPMENT IS MOSTLY HIGH-RISE, THERE ARE FEW LOCATIONS WHERE SIMPLE NOISE BARRIERS WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AND THE BEST NOISE PROTECTION IS DISTANCE, HE SAID.

+ NEVERTHELESS, NOISE BARRIERS WILL BE USED WHERE THEY WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICABLE.+

MR BARNES SAID ALONG THE SECTION OF ROUTE 5 RUNNING FROM TSUEN WAN TO SHA TIN, THERE WAS PROVISION FOR NOISE BARRIERS ADJACENT TO MEI LAM ESTATE IN SHA TIN.

ALSO, ON THE KAM TIN BYPASS, NOISE BARRIERS WOULD BE INSTALLED ON TOP OF EARTH MOUNDS SHOULD THEY BE FOUND EFFECTIVE, MR BARNES SAID.

FLOODING CONTROL MEASURES TO BE BETTER CO-ORDINATED

*****

THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL ENGINEERING SERVICES HAS BEEN GIVEN OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY TO CO-ORDINATE FLOODING CONTROL MEASURES THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON POON CHI-FA} MR BARNES SAID THE DIRECTOR WOULD HAVE TO REVIEW ALL THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR MONITORING REMEDIAL WORKS, EMERGENCY MEASURES AND FOR INFORMATION ON FLOODING.

+IF WE ARE DOING REASONABLY WELL NOW, HE MUST ENSURE THAT WE DO BETTER,+ ME ADDED.

MR BARNES WENT ON TO OUTLINE THE WAYS IN WHICH GOVERNMENT SOUGHT TO PREVENT FLOODING.

HE SAID FIRSTLY, IT REQUIRED ITS OWN CONTRACTORS TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PREVENT EXCAVATION MATERIAL OR BUILDING DEBRIS FROM ENTERING THE STORM-WATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM ON A HALF-FINISHED CONSTRUCTION SITE.

THIS REQUIRED A CONSIDERABLE EFFORT OF SUPERVISION ON THE PART OF THE CONTRACTOR AND ALSO A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF REGUL AR SITE INSPECTIONS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE.

SECONDLY, FOR PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION SITES, APPOINTED AUTHORISED PERSONS WERE BOUND TO ENSURE THAT CONTRACTORS TOOK SIMILAR PRECAUTIONS IN RESPECT OF THEIR WORK SITES.

+IF A CONTRACTOR FAILS TO DO THIS, HE CAN BE PROSECUTED UNDER THE SUMMARY OFFENCES ORDINANCE, AND IF CONVICTED, IS LIABLE TO A FINE OR IMPRISONMENT, MR BARNES SAID.

HE SAID OBVIOUSLY HOW EFFECTIVELY EVERYBODY - AND IT WAS A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INVOLVED ALL OVER THE TERRITORY - SUCCEEDED IN DOING HIS PART VARIED AND DEPENDED AT LEAST IN PART ON WARNING OF BAD WEATHER.

/+BUT THE ...