XN000022-1993-05-20 — Page 10

THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1993

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MAJOR FLOOD-PRONE AREAS IN HONG KONG ARE IN YUEN LONG AND THE NORTH DISTRICTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, INCLUDING TIN SHUI WAI, KAM TIN, NGAU TAM MEI, SAN TIN, YUEN LONG AND SHEUNG SHUI.

THESE AREAS ARE THE NATURAL FLOOD PLAINS OF THE MAJOR RIVERS DRAINING INTO DEEP BAY, AND IN RECENT YEARS FLOODING HAS BECOME MORE SERIOUS DUE TO LAND USE CHANGES AND BLOCKAGE OF NATURAL WATERCOURSES.

THE FLOOD PREVENTION WORKS UNDERTAKEN IN THESE AREAS ARE THE CONSTRUCTION OR IMPROVEMENT OF DRAINAGE CHANNELS, AND CONSTRUCTION OF FLOOD PUMPING SCHEMES FOR LOW-LYING VILLAGES.

THE VILLAGES ARE SURROUNDED BY BUNDS ΤΟ PROTECT THEM FROM FLOODS AND THE RAINWATER THAT FALLS INSIDE THEM IS PUMPED OUT.

EXISTING RIVERS AND DRAINAGE CHANNELS HAVE BEEN IMPROVED IN AN EXERCISE CALLED RIVER TRAINING WORKS BY STRAIGHTENING THEM AND LINING THEM WITH CONCRETE TO INCREASE THEIR WATER FLOW.

SEVEN KILOMETRES OF RIVER CHANNELS HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND SEVEN FLOOD PUMPING SCHEMES ARE IN OPERATION IN THESE AREAS.

THE MAIN DRAINAGE CHANNELS AND THE FLOOD PUMPING THE TIN SHUI WAI CATCHMENT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED.

SCHEMES IN

THE FLOOD ΤΟ START

TRAINING OF MAIN DRAINAGE CHANNELS TO MITIGATE HAZARD IN THE YUEN LONG AND KAM TIN CATCHMENTS ARE EXPECTED IN 1993/94 AND THE WORKS ARE ESTIMATED TO COST AROUND $1.6 BILLION IN TWO STAGES.

THE WORKS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN SEVERAL PHASES, STARTING FROM THE DOWNSTREAM ENDS OF THE SHAN PUI AND KAM TIN RIVERS AND PROCEEDING UPWARDS.

FLOOD PUMPING SCHEMES COSTING ABOUT $45 MILLION ARE BRING PLANNED FOR COMMENCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTION TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT YEAR IN SHA PO.

THE PROPOSED WORKS TO PREVENT FLOODING IN NGAU TAM MEI AND SAN TIN INCLUDE RIVER TRAINING AND FIVE FLOOD PUMPING SCHEMES AT A COST OF ABOUT $760 MILLION, AND CONSTRUCTION IS PROGRAMMED ΤΟ START IN 1994/95.

WITH REGARD TO THE NORTH DISTRICT, MR STU POINTED OUT THAT DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SHENZHEN MUNICIPALITY ON THE SHENZHEN RIVER IMPROVEMENT SCHEME ARE IN PROGRESS.

THIS SCHEME INVOLVES TRAINING 17 KILOMETRES OF THE SHENZHEN RIVER IN STAGES. AS THESE WORKS MAY HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ON THE MAI PO MARSHES AND INNER DEEP BAY, AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT WOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BEFORE CONSTRUCTION,

THE DESILTING OF NATURAL RIVERS HAS BEEN ACTIVELY PURSUED BY THE DRAINAGE SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN THE FLOOD-PRONE AREAS, MR SIU

SAID.

/IN 1992/93,

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