ENG-1969 — Page 173

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HEALTH

An average of 2,300 tons of refuse is collected and disposed of daily. All the refuse (about 650 tons daily) collected from Hong Kong Island is disposed of in the oil-fired incinerator at Kennedy Town, operated by the Public Works Department. 650 tons of the refuse collected from Kowloon and New Kowloon are taken to the incinerator at Lai Chi Kok and the rest (amounting to about 700 tons) is conveyed by vehicle to Gin Drinkers' Bay, Tsuen Wan, in the New Territories, for disposal there by controlled tipping. Construction of a second incinerator for Kowloon is expected to commence next year and planning for a third one is in hand. A composting plant has also been installed at Lai Chi Kok, convert- ing 45 tons of refuse into compost weekly. In the New Territories, only townships and villages accessible to vehicles are provided with cleansing services. However, picnic spots are attended to regularly by special cleansing gangs. Refuse collected in the New Territories (about 300 tons daily) is disposed of, by controlled tipping, at Gin Drinkers' Bay, Chau Tau, Ngau Tam Mei and Shuen Wan.

The refuse collecting fleet now consists of 160 vehicles in use daily, supplemented by 43 prime-movers, 131 trailers, 24 lorries and four tippers. In addition, 34 street-washing vehicles are em- ployed to clean roads, lanes, gutters, footpaths, bus stops and hawker areas.

The nightsoil collection service continues to diminish gradually as pre-war property is demolished and replaced by modern buildings with waterborne sanitation. 17,420 gallons of nightsoil were collected daily from 16,586 floors with dry latrines and from 2,420 temporary latrine compartments on building sites, and squatter and licensed resettlement areas. Thirty-four specialised vehicles and three tanker- barges are employed on this service, most of the nightsoil collected being delivered to the maturation tanks of the Vegetable Marketing Organisation at Tsuen Wan for processing and subsequent sale as fertiliser to farmers; the rest is dumped into the sea outside harbour limits.

The Hygiene Division of the Urban Services Department is re- sponsible for the regular inspection of some 5,744 licensed premises such as restaurants and fresh provision shops. Regular house inspection is also carried out. All applications for licences under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and subsidiary