XN000022-1992-04-08 — Page 33

31

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1992

ON A

IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, WORKS WILL BE IN PROGRESS TOTAL OF 52 SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS, OF WHICH 25 ARE ON HONG KONG ISLAND, FIVE IN KOWLOON AND 22 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THESE COMPRISE 36 SOIL AND ROCK SLOPES, FOUR LOOSE FILL SLOPES AND 12 RETAINING WALLS.

THE EXPENDITURE ON THE LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURE PROGRAMME DURING THIS FINANCIAL YEAR IS EXPECTED TO BE $66 MILLION.

WAS

UNTIL RECENTLY, THE LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURES PROGRAMME CONCERNED ENTIRELY WITH SLOPES AND RETAINING WALLS WHICH COULD CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE.

HOWEVER, THE PROGRAMME NOW INCLUDES THE STABILISATION OF SOME UNSATIFACTORY SLOPES AND WALLS WHICH COULD INDIRECTLY CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE BY MAJOR DISRUPTION TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, OR WHICH COULD CAUSE MAJOR ECONOMIC DISRUPTION.

THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES SLOPES ALONG MAJOR ROADS, AND ALONG OTHER ROADS WHICH PROVIDE THE SOLE ACCESS TO HOSPITALS, SUPPLY RESERVOIRS AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

SLOPES

WATER

SLOPES

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT IN THE CASE OF DANGEROUS AND RETAINING WALLS ON PRIVATE LAND, GEO WOULD INITIATE A STATUTORY ORDER REQUIRING OWNERS TO INVESTIGATE AND UNDERTAKE ANY LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOUND NECESSARY.

IF THE OWNERS DEFAULTED, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CARRY OUT THE WORK AT THEIR EXPENSE, HE SAID.

IN ADDITION TO THE STABILISATION WORKS INITIATED AND EXECUTED BY GEO, A GREAT DEAL OF SLOPE STABILISATION WORK, AT A COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR, IS CARRIED OUT IN BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS IN ASSOCIATION WITH CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS.

BY

THERE CONTINUES TO BE THE PROBLEM OF UNSAFE SLOPES OCCUPIED SQUATTERS. THESE SLOPES CANNOT BE RECTIFIED UNDER THE LANDSLIP PREVENTIVE MEASURES PROGRAMME BECAUSE CLEARANCES ARE INVARIABLY NEEDED BEFORE LARGE-SCALE WORK CAN BE CARRIED OUT.

THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT HAS NOW CLEARED ABOUT 62,000 PEOPLE OCCUPYING SLOPES ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO LANDSLIPS, AND

IS CONTINUING WITH A PROGRAMME WHICH AIMS TO CLEAR ALL SQUATTERS ON ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TERRAIN BY AROUND THE END OF 1994.

GEO IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUPPLY OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, GROUND INVESTIGATION AND LABORATORY TESTING FOR PUBLIC WORKS, CONTROL OF BLASTING WORKS AND EXPLOSIVES, AND PROVIDING GEOTECHNICAL ADVISORY SERVICES TO GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

0

/32