XN000022-1996-05-29 — Page 50

(c)

(4)

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At Tuen Mun New Town, the Tuen Mun river channel between Pui To Road and the river outlet was dredged to improve the flow of the river channel which would help to reduce the build up of pollutants and hence would improve the water quality of the river channel. The dredging work was commenced in July 1993 and completed in January 1994.

Agriculture and Fisheries Department:

Implemented a livestock farm licensing scheme since July 1995 which required livestock keepers to install and operate waste treatment facilities. As at April 1996, 162 livestock farms have already been so licensed.

Carried out 525 cleansing operations at polluted agricultural weirs. In addition, 208 agricultural weirs had either been demolished or replaced by those capable of being drained for cleansing operations. These cleansing operations led to cleaner stream water flowing into major river channels.

The above measures were to deal mainly with the major sources of pollution such as livestock waste and unsewered villages, and to regularly clean up the water courses.

This is

They have been effective in leading to steady and progressive improvements to the water quality of our watercourses. illustrated by the fact that in 1987 only 25% of all watercourse sampling stations received a grading of good or excellent whereas the similar figure for 1995 was 57%. These measures will continue to be enforced or carried out and further improvements are expected.

Of the four departments identified in (b) above, the Environmental Protection Department is the main department working directly on improvement to the water quality of the watercourses in Hong Kong. Approximately 70 professional and 300 technical staff members are involved in enforcing legislation aimed at controlling the amount of pollution entering our fresh and marine waters. In addition, about 60 professional and 100 technical staff members are engaged in activities. directly related to improving water quality such as monitoring, laboratory analysis. impact assessment, policy

policy development and infrastructure planning.

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