HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
129
There are several reasons which give rise to the dirtiness of streets in Hong Kong. First, the pedestrian flow is high. There are many pedestrians in the streets and the daily flow of pedestrians in each street is very heavy. Second, traffic is busy. Exhaust from car engines and filthy particles pollute the streets. Third, hawking activities especially cooked food trading, generate refuse and pollute the streets. Besides, some people let dogs excrete in the streets and smelly manures are left everywhere. Litterbugs are also one of the culprits polluting the streets. Dirty streets could have been cleaned. The frequency of street-washing, however, is insufficient. Moreover, street-washing workers are slack in their work. These last two reasons also contribute to the dirtiness of streets.
The second major problem, or another focus I bring forth in the appendix, concerns air pollution in the streets. Sorry, there is a wrong Chinese character in the appendix. According to the EPD, dust is the number one pollutant causing air pollution. The findings were printed on page 36 of the EPD Annual Report 1995, which was quoted in the Appendix tabled.
According to the EPD, the concentration of the total suspended particles at street level exceeds the readings taken at roof floors by the monitoring stations. My constituency, Mongkok, is certainly one of the most affected areas. EPD conducted air quality tests in Causeway Bay in 1992 and 1993, and in Central in 1994. The results showed that air pollution at street level posed a real problem in Hong Kong. The EPD opines that certain areas in Hong Kong are always dusty. Together with other pollutants in the air, this poses great danger to the pedestrians' respiratory system. People with asthma and bronchial disease will aggravate their condition if they inhale those particles suspended in the air. Some of the particles may even cause cancer.
The EPD conducted a test of dust concentration at ground level in Shatin. In the testing site, the wind force remained weak over the days. On the eighth and ninth days of the testing period, the wind force was so weak at 3 metres per second that the speed of dust concentration surged beyond the acceptable level. Please turn to the last page of the Appendix for details. You will find that the dust concentration was roughly over 150 micrograms per square metre. According to the EPD, their analysis showed that the amount of dust in Hong Kong was on the high side and everyone had to shoulder some responsibility. It commented that usually when the wind was so weak that dust in individual districts could not be dissipated, the concentration of dust would rise. What effects do such dust and exhaust in the streets have on pedestrians and residents? Let me quote another research to give you a general picture. The study report is here. If you are interested, I can circulate it to you.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Tsuen Wan District Board had jointly conducted a study. Their phase I study started approximately in 1994 and the findings were released in 1995. The study illustrated that the proportion of children with running nose on the 1st to 9th floor were higher
Page 132 of 498
Page 132 of 498
Page 132 of 498
Page 132 of 498
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
129
There are several reasons which give rise to the dirtiness of streets in Hong Kong. First, the pedestrian flow is high. There are many pedestrians in the streets and the daily flow of pedestrians in each street is very heavy. Second, traffic is busy. Exhaust from car engines and filthy particles pollute the streets. Third, hawking activities especially cooked food trading, generate refuse and pollute the streets. Besides, some people let dogs excrete in the streets and smelly manures are left everywhere. Litterbugs are also one of the culprits polluting the streets. Dirty streets could have been cleaned. The frequency of street-washing, however, is insufficient. Moreover, street-washing workers are slack in their work. These last two reasons also contribute to the dirtiness of
sireels.
The second major problem, or another socus I bring forth in the appendix, concerns air pollution in the streets. Sorry, there is a wrong Chinese character in the appendix. According to the EPD, dust is the number one pollutant causing air pollution. The findings were printed on page 36 of the EPD Annual Report 1995, which was quoted in the Appendix tabled.
According to the EPD, the concentration of the total suspended particles at street level exceeds the readings taken at roof floors by the monitoring stations. My constituency, Mongkok, is certainly one of the most affected areas. EPD conducted air quality tests in Causeway Bay in 1992 and 1993, and in Central in 1994. The results showed that air pollution at street level posed a real problem in Hong Kong. The EPD opines that certain areas in Hong Kong are always dusty. Together with other pollutants in the air, this poses great danger to the pedestrians' respiratory system. People with asthma and bronchial disease will aggravate their condition if they inhale those particles suspended in the air. Some of the particles may even cause cancer.
The EPD conducted a test of dust concentration at ground level in Shatin. In the testing site, the wind force remained weak over the days. On the eighth and ninth days of the testing period, the wind force was so weak at 3 metres per second that the speed of dust concentration surged beyond the acceptable level. Please turn to the last page of the Appendix for details. You will find that the dust concentration was roughly over 150 micrograms per square metre. According to the EPD, their analysis showed that the amount of dust in Hong Kong was on the high side and everyone had to shoulder some responsibility. It commented that usually when the wind was so weak that dust in individual districts could not be dissipated, the concentration of dust would rise. What effects do such dust and exhaust in the streets have on pedestrians and residents? Let me quote another research to give you a general picture. The study report is here. If you are interested, I can circulate it to you.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Tsuen Wan District Board had jointly conducted a study. Their phase I study started approximately in 1994 and the findings were released in 1995. The study illustrated that the proportion of children with running nose on the 1st to 9th floor were higher
Page 132 of 498
Page 132 of 498
Page 132 of 49
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