XN000022-1991-10-07 — Page 9

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7,

1991

"THIS YEAR, MORE ALGAE IS FOUND NEAR THE MAIN DAM OF THE RESERVOIR. THE MAIN CAUSE WAS DUE TO THE TEMPERATURE CHANGE IN LATE SEPTEMBER, LEADING TO OVERTURN OF THE RESERVOIR AND BRINGING MINERALS RELEASED FROM THE BOTTOM MUD, THEREBY ACCELERATING ALGAL

GROWTH.

"THE EFFECT HAS BEEN INTENSIFIED BY THE RELATIVELY LOWER WATER LEVEL IN THE RESERVOIR DUE TO DRY RAINY SEASON WITH LOW DILUTION FACTOR THIS YEAR. HOWEVER, THE ALGAL ACTIVITIES IS EXPECTED TO DROP DRASTICALLY IN COOLER CLIMATES.

"AT PLOVER COVE, WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS SEVERAL DRAW-OFF LEVELS AT VARIOUS DEPTHS OF THE RESERVOIR FOR DRAWING WATER TO WATER TREATMENT WORKS. CLOSE MONITORING IS MAINTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO ABSTRACT WATER FROM THE MOST SUITABLE LEVEL FOR TREATMENT.

"AT WATER TREATMENT WORKS, THE TREATMENT PROCESSES SUCH AS FLOCCULATION, SEDIMENTATION AND FILTRATION ARE CAPABLE OF REMOVING ALGAE COMPLETELY. THE QUALITY OF SUPPLY TO CONSUMERS CONFORMS TO THÊ INTERNATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR DRINKING WATER AND IS ABSOLUTELY SAFE TO.

DRINK.

"ANOTHER MEASURE TAKEN BY WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT IS THE STOCKING OF FISH SUCH AS SILVER CARP INTO PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR ΤΟ CONTROL ALGAL GROWTH, WHICH HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR MAINTAINING ECOLOGICAL BALANCE IN THE

RESERVOIR.

FF

GROWTH

SIMILAR FINDINGS OF USING SILVER CARP TO CONTROL ALGAL SUCCESSFULLY HAS ALSO BEEN OBSERVED IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, FOR EXAMPLE NETOFA RESERVOIRS IN ISRAEL.'

MORE IMPORTED WORKERS FOUND UNDERPAID

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT HAS DISCOVERED MORE CASES OF WAGE UNDERPAYMENT TO IMPORTED WORKERS DURING A SPECIAL CAMPAIGN ΤΟ ENSURE THAT IMPORTED WORKERS RECEIVE THEIR WAGES IN FULL.

"DURING THEIR VISITS TO 670 ESTABLISHMENTS LAST MONTH, LABOUR INSPECTORS FOUND 87 EMPLOYERS PAYING IMPORTED WORKERS WAGES LESS THAN THE AMOUNT STATED IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, SENIOR LABOUR OFFICER (LABOUR INSPECTION), MR CHAN KWOK-KUEN, SAID.

"THESE CASES WILL BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND, WHERE THERE IS EVIDENCE, PROSECUTION WILL BE TAKEN OUT AGAINST THE EMPLOYERS CONCERNED," HE STRESSED.

T

"WE HAVE ALSO FOUND 131 EMPLOYERS PAYING WAGES THROUGH BANKS INTO THE IMPORTED WORKERS' ACCOUNTS, HE ADDED, NOTING THAT THE DEPARTMENT HAD RECENTLY ADVISED ALL EMPLOYERS OF IMPORTED WORKERS CHAVAR DO BANK AUTO-PAY TO AVOID POSSIBLE ILLEGAL WAGE DEDUCTION.

то

/"OUR INSPECTORS