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Education Department that in view of the fact that there are 3,000 vacant school places in the area and that there is a strong possibility that there are as many as 1,300 children of primary school age who are not going to school, could they not do something about increasing the number of children of primary school age who go to school in that estate?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Certainly, I will be glad to do so, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Thank you.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary in connexion with the schools. May I ask the Commissioner if he knows that, as far as I know, the regulation of the Education Department is that after October the schools will not be allowed to open any more classes and therefore I do not think they will get permission to take in any more children if it involves opening new classes?
They will have to wait until next year.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Is that October last month?
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Yes.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I was not aware of that. I got the figure of 3,000 places from the Education Department itself.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- May I also ask the Commissioner, through you, Mr. Chairman, if he realizes that because of the shortage of buses there is not only an illegal hawker market but also an excellent illegal Pak Pai taxi service?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I have seen what appear to me to be illegal taxis operating in that area.
(14) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
With reference to certain reports in the Press of drowning of young children in pools of rain-water after a torrential downpour, will the Urban Services Department be good enough to send some inspectors to see that such pools are immediately drained off to prevent further fatal accidents, and the breeding of mosquitoes?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
It is correct that there have been reports in local newspapers concerning a recent tragic case in which a boy aged 9 was drowned. This particular case occurred in a large pool in the Morrison Hill Quarry formed from the junction of a number of smaller pools consequent on successive heavy rains. This quarry has been regularly inspected during the course of routine mosquito surveys. Advice was given in May this year to the quarry contractor to empty the pool of water by pumping. Two pumps have been constantly in operation since then but they were unable to keep pace with the fresh pools created by quarrying and by the very heavy intermittent rains this summer. Before Typhoon Viola, there were in this quarry about 15 to 20 small pools, varying in depth from 1-3 feet. With each typhoon, these pools increased in size so that after Typhoon Georgia, a small reservoir had been created some 200 feet in length and 70 feet in width with a depth of up to 25 feet in places.
A bulldozer is at present at work levelling the area and filling in the pond. During this process, water will be run off to the nearest nullah through a drainage pipe now under construction. Also, to speed the removal of water, pumping is being carried out by the Fire Services Department. It is anticipated that the pond will be filled in and the water removed within a month, provided there is no more heavy rain. No mosquito breeding has been detected in this pond at any time.
It is realized that such pools are an attraction and a danger to young children and action will be taken in future to prevent such dangerous accumulations developing wherever this is practicable; where this is not, managements will be advised to put up notices warning people of the danger. Large collections of water are not usually sources of mosquito breeding in Hong Kong. Accumulations of water at building sites are regularly dealt with by the anti-mosquito gangs. Statutory notices are issued whenever necessary to owners of building sites requiring them to drain off accumulations of water and prosecutions follow where these are disobeyed.
MR. RAFEEK:- Mr. Chairman, may I thank the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, through you, for his reply.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- As a matter of interest, Mr. Chairman, when did the bulldozer appear on the scene?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:- Mr. Chairman, I am not able to give you the date when it started operation, but it certainly has been there for some time.
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Page 185 of 312
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Education Department that in view of the fact that there are 3,000 vacant school places in the area and that there is a strong possibility that there are as many as 1,300 children of primary school age who are not going to school, could they not do something about increasing the number of children of primary school age who go to school in that estate?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Certainly, I will be glad to do so, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary in connexion with the schools. May I ask the Commissioner if he knows that, as far as I know, the regulation of the Education Department is that after October the schools will not be allowed to open any more classes and therefore I do not think they will get permission to take in any more children if it involves opening new classes?
They will have to wait until next year.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Is that October last month?
MRS. ELLIOTT:—Yes.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -I was not aware of that. I got the figure of 3,000 places from the Education Department itself.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-May I also ask the Commissioner, through you, Mr. Chairman, if he realizes that because of the shortage of buses there is not only an illegal hawker market but also an excellent illegal Pak Pai taxi service?
COMMISSIONER for ResettLEMENT:--I have seen what appear to me to be illegal taxis operating in that area.
(14) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
With reference to certain reports in the Press of drowning of young children in pools of rain-water after a torrential downpour, will the Urban Services Department be good enough to send some inspectors to see that such pools are immediately drained off to prevent further fatal accidents, and the breeding of mosquitoes?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
—
It is correct that there have been reports in local newspapers concerning a recent tragic case in which a boy aged 9 was
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
347
drowned. This particular case occurred in a large pool in the Morrison Hill Quarry formed from the junction of a number of smaller pools consequent on successive heavy rains. This quarry has been regularly inspected during the course of routine mosquito surveys. Advice was given in May this year to the quarry contractor to empty the pool of water by pumping. Two pumps have been constantly in operation since then but they were unable to keep pace with the fresh pools created by quarrying and by the very heavy intermittent rains this summer. Before Typhoon Viola, there were in this quarry about 15 to 20 small pools, varying in depth from 1-3 feet. With each typhoon, these pools increased in size so that after Typhoon Georgia, a small reservoir had been created some 200 feet in length and 70 feet in width with a depth of up to 25 feet in places.
A bulldozer is at present at work levelling the area and filling in the pond. During this process, water will be run off to the nearest nullah through a drainage pipe now under construction. Also, to speed the removal of water, pump- ing is being carried out by the Fire Services Department. It is anticipated that the pond will be filled in and the water removed within a month, provided there is no more heavy rain. No mosquito breeding has been detected in this pond at any time.
It is realized that such pools are an attraction and a danger to young children and action will be taken in future to pre- vent such dangerous accumulations developing wherever this is practicable; where this is not, managements will be advised to put up notices warning people of the danger. Large collections of water are not usually sources of mosquito breeding in Hong Kong. Accumulations of water at building sites are regularly dealt with by the anti-mosquito gangs. Statutory notices are issued when- ever necessary to owners of building sites requiring them to drain off accumulations of water and prosecutions follow where these are disobeyed.
MR. RAFEEK:-Mr. Chairman, may I thank the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, through you, for his reply.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-As a matter of interest, Mr. Chairman, when did the bulldozer appear on the scene?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES :—Mr. Chairman, I am not able to give you the date when it started operation, but it certainly has been there for some time.
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