XN000022-1993-06-30 — Page 50

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1993

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WATER SUPPLY TO SQUATTER AREAS EXPLAINED

* * *

IT

IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO PROVIDE METERED WATER SUPPLY TO SQUATTER AREAS WHEN APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED IF IT IS TECHNICALLY FEASIBLE AND WHEN THERE IS NO IMMINENT PLAN OF CLEARANCE BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE,

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALBERT CHAN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THERE ARE 17 SQUATTER AREAS WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF 958

IN THE URBAN AREAS AND 726 SQUATTER AREAS WITH A POPULATION OF 2,717 PERSONS IN THE RURAL AREAS WHICH ARE WITHOUT MAINS WATER SUPPLY OR METERED WATER SUPPLY.

MR BLAKE SAID AS IT WAS ENVISAGED THAT ALL URBAN SQUATTERS ON GOVERNMENT LAND WOULD BE CLEARED BY 1996, THERE WAS THUS NO PLAN TO SUPPLY WATER TO URBAN SQUATTER AREAS WHICH WERE CURRENTLY WITHOUT WATER SUPPLY.

OVER 500 VILLAGES WERE PROVIDED WITH METERED WATER SUPPLY IN 1987 AND FOR THE REMAINING 175 VILLAGES WHICH WERE LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM THE WATER DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS, IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT 114 VILLAGES COULD BE PROVIDED WITH METERED WATER SUPPLY AT A REASONABLE COST.

OF

A PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME ITEM "WATER SUPPLY TO REMOTE VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES" WAS CREATED TO IMPLEMENT THE WORKS FOR 85 THESE VILLAGES.

THE WORKS ARE WELL UNDER WAY AND THAT FOR THE FINAL VILLAGE 18 EXPECTED TO COMPLETE BEFORE THE END OF 1995.

WATER SUPPLY TO THE REMAINING 29 VILLAGES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY EXTENSION OF THE EXISTING OR NEWLY COMPLETED WATER SUPPLY NETWORKS UNDER RECURRENT PROVISION.

UP TILL NOW, A TOTAL OF 624 VILLAGES HAVE BEEN METERED WATER SUPPLY.

PROVIDED WITH

MR BLAKE SAID THERE WERE STILL SOME 63 VILLAGES WITH A TOTAL POPULATION OF AROUND 4,040 FOR WHICH THE WORKS WERE NOT ON THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME, BUT THEIR NEED FOR MAINS WATER SUPPLY WAS KEPT CONSTANT REVIEW.

UNDER

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