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adequate. The Urban Services Department carries out house inspection, and mosquito gangs of the Department carry out inspections at weekly intervals. Anti-fly gangs also operate in the area on a weekly schedule and accumulations of refuse are referred to the Cleansing Division for direct action. During the past 12 months there have been no complaints of fly or mosquito nuisances, and only two cases of bacillary dysentery were reported in the area.
Inoculation teams visit the area and the inhabitants are given priority in this respect in consideration of their sub-standard living conditions.
Until it is possible to resettle the inhabitants in this area, I can only give an assurance that the Urban Services Department will continue to do all it can to keep the area as clean as possible.
MR. BERNACCHI:- I thank Mr. Hu for taking an interest in my ward, and would ask the Commissioner for Resettlement to say publicly when it is hoped that the new blocks in Chai Wan will be erected and ready for occupation?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:—I am advised that in the area adjacent to the old part of the existing Chai Wan Estate, new blocks will not be available for occupation before 1969.
MR. HU:-- Mr. Chairman, I would only like to express the hope that something will be done with the open nullah from where very dirty water usually comes, and I hope that the Urban Services Department will do everything possible to lessen the nuisance coming from this.
CHAIRMAN: -Well, Mr. Hu, I have some supplementary information here. Whatever the position is now, it is better than it was, because a special operation was conducted in early 1966 to clear away the debris and refuse resulting from demolition of a number of squatter structures, to make way for the formation of fire lanes, and for the construction of an open nullah along the sea wall at Aldrich Street as an extension to the Factory Street nullah. Arrangements have also been made to provide refuse collection service and latrine and bath facilities. A beat labourer has been posted to this area specially, to be responsible for picking up refuse and litter around the squatter huts on the foreshore. He goes round once each day and collects a total of 14 baskets of refuse on the average. To supplement him, a special gang consisting of five labourers has been detailed to do a general cleaning up once a week. Six 40-gallon refuse containers have been provided at designated bin sites near the entrance to fire lanes on cemented ground for use by the squatters. A refuse collecting vehicle stop has been fixed at the junction
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of Nam On Street and Nam On Lane, twice a day, at 10.10 in the morning and 2.20 in the afternoon. The squatters have been encouraged to dispose of their refuse into the refuse collection vehicle or the refuse containers.
Ten bath compartments have been provided inside the squatter area on two different sites. A group of eight compartments is situated at the fire lane on the east side, and a group of two at the fire lane on the west side. Due to the lack of ground in the squatter area and, moreover, due to objection by the squatter people, latrine facilities cannot be provided there. Nearby Nam On Street public latrine and bath house is being used.
MR. HU:- Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the information you have given us. I also thank you for the measures the Urban Services Department are taking to make this place cleaner.
DR. BELL:- Mr. Chairman, may I have a piece of information? How many people are involved here?
CHAIRMAN: -4,000.
(10) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question :-
Could the Chairman advise if it would be possible to extend the opening hours of public libraries to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. so as to extend the library facilities to the public, in particular our young people?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the opening hours of the public libraries operated by this Council.
At present the libraries open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on week-days with the exception of the junior libraries which close at 6 p.m. On Saturdays the libraries open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., and on Sundays and Public Holidays the hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It is of course possible to extend the opening hours, but any such extension would involve additional staff, payment of overtime allowance, and consumption of additional electricity. It is therefore a question of whether the expected public usage during the extended hours would justify the further expenditure involved.
I propose first, therefore, to request the Library Adviser to make a survey of public usage in the evenings under
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Page 141 of 259
256
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adequate. The Urban Services Department carries out house inspection, and mosquito gangs of the Department carry out inspections at weekly intervals. Anti-fly gangs also operate in the area on a weekly schedule and accumulations of refuse are referred to the Cleansing Division for direct action. During the past 12 months there have been no complaints of fly or mosquito nuisances, and only two cases of bacillary dysentery were reported in the area.
Inoculation teams visit the area and the inhabitants are given priority in this respect in consideration of their sub- standard living conditions.
Until it is possible to resettle the inhabitants in this area, I can only give an assurance that the Urban Services Depart- ment will continue to do all it can to keep the area as clean as possible.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I thank Mr. Hu for taking an interest in my ward, and would ask the Commissioner for Resettlement to say publicly when it is hoped that the new blocks in Chai Wan will be erected and ready for occupation?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:—I am advised that in the area adjacent to the old part of the existing Chai Wan Estate, new blocks will not be available for occupation before 1969.
MR. HU:--Mr. Chairman, I would only like to express the hope that something will be done with the open nullah from where very dirty water usually comes, and I hope that the Urban Services Department will do everything possible to lessen the nuisance coming from this.
CHAIRMAN: -Well, Mr. Hu, I have some supplementary informa- tion here. Whatever the position is now, it is better than it was, because a special operation was conducted in early 1966 to clear away the debris and refuse resulting from demolition of a number of squatter structures, to make way for the formation of fire lanes, and for the construction of an open nullah along the sea wall at Aldrich Street as an extension to the Factory Street nullah. Arrangements have also been made to provide refuse collection service and latrine and bath facilities. A beat labourer has been posted to this area specially, to be responsible for picking up refuse and litter around the squatter huts on the foreshore. He goes round once each day and collects a total of 14 baskets of refuse on the average. To supplement him, a special gang consisting of five labourers has been detailed to do a general cleaning up once a week. Six 40-gallon refuse containers have been provided at designated bin sites near the entrance to fire lanes on cemented ground for use by the squatters. A refuse collecting vehicle stop has been fixed at the junction
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of Nam On Street and Nam On Lane, twice a day, at 10.10 in the morning and 2.20 in the afternoon. The squatters have been encouraged to dispose of their refuse into the refuse collection vehicle or the refuse containers.
Ten bath compartments have been provided inside the squatter area on two different sites. A group of eight compartments is situated at the fire lane on the east side, and a group of two at the fire lane on the west side. Due to the lack of ground in the squatter area and, more- over, due to objection by the squatter people, latrine facilities cannot be provided there. Nearby Nam On Street public latrine and bath house is being used.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for the informa- tion you have given us. I also thank you for the measures the Urban Services Department are taking to make this place cleaner.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, may I have a piece of information? How many people are involved here?
CHAIRMAN: -4,000.
(10) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question :-
Could the Chairman advise if it would be possible to extend the opening hours of public libraries to 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. so as to extend the library facilities to the public, in particular our young people?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the opening hours of the public libraries
operated by this Council.
At present the libraries open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. on week-days with the exception of the junior libraries which close at 6 p.m. On Saturdays the libraries open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., and on Sundays and Public Holidays the hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
It is of course possible to extend the opening hours, but any such extension would involve additional staff, payment of overtime allowance, and consumption of additional elec- tricity. It is therefore a question of whether the expected public usage during the extended hours would justify the further expenditure involved.
I propose first, therefore, to request the Library Adviser to make a survey of public usage in the evenings under
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.