ENG-1964 — Page 197

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Public Works and Utilities

THE programme of public works, from the building of resettlement estates, schools and hospitals to the construction of roads, drains and reservoirs is Hong Kong's biggest single financial commitment. Expenditure for the Public Works Department accounts for about 45 per cent of the total government expenditure in a year. In the 1964-5 estimate capital expenditure alone on public works is set at nearly $563 million. More than a quarter of that sum is devoted to the provision of water supplies, including work on new reser- voir projects and the remaining expenses of the water emergency.

The water emergency, which had severely restricted water supply to only four hours every fourth day since June 1963 had involved a number of expedients including the importation of water by tankers from the Pearl River in China. This operation which ter- minated on 14th June was undoubtedly the most important emer- gency measure taken to maintain the Colony's water supply during the extreme shortage. The tanker shuttle service for the period January to 14th June completed 768 round trips and brought in 2,436 million gallons. The whole operation involved 1,371 round trips when 4,288 million gallons or approximately 19,000,000 long- tons of water, which amounted to almost one-third of the total consumption during the period, were lifted. The cost of this operation was naturally high and although all accounts are not yet to hand, it is estimated that the total cost will amount to $67 million.

During 1963 the Chinese Authorities had been approached on the possibility of extracting water from the East River, some 45 miles north of the border. In January of this year the Chinese Authorities advised that they had examined alternative proposals and had come to the conclusion that the provision of dams and attendant pumps at various places along a tributary of the East River was the most satisfactory and economical way of extracting water from the East River, the water to be raised in stages into a