TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 228

f:

Question No. 6-

Sources of

water pollution

REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH & WELFARE

TO A QUESTION ASKED BY THE HON. LIU IT FOR

IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY, 9 MARCH 1988

6. MR. LIU asked (in Cantonese):

Question: On 9 July 1986 in reply to my question in this

Council concerning the heavily polluted Wong Chuk Hang Nullah in the Southern District the Secretary for Health and Welfare stated that the Environmental Protection Department would undertake studies to examine the sources of pollution and to identify ways of improving the situation. Will Government inform this Council whether these studies, particularly the one relating to the Wong Chuk Hang Nullah, have been completed and what their findings are?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE:

le

sir,

several large scale studies of the sources of

water pollution in urban areas have been carried out by the

Environmental Protection Department since it was established

in April 1986. A survey of pollution sources in the

catchment area of the Wong Chuk Hang Nullah was undertaken

during July and August 1987 and the findings were reported

to the Environment Committee of the Southern District Board

in January this year.

During the survey, 1,373 factories were inspected

of which 34 were found to produce polluting effluents. Twelve of these factories were discharging directly into

stormwater drains which flow into the nullah thus causing

serious pollution of the nullah.

Warning letters have been