ENG-1995 — Page 206

HEALTH

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of meat inspection services in slaughterhouses and services for the disposal of the dead.

Streets and lanes are swept from four times a day for busy thoroughfares to once every two days for village lanes. Mechanical sweeping is employed where manual sweeping is not practicable. Streets and lanes are also hosed down where conditions warrant. The departments mount regular joint operations with the Marine Department to clear floating refuse.

The USD collects 3 100 tonnes of refuse and junk each day, 1 200 in Hong Kong and 1900 tonnes in Kowloon. It has 200 refuse collection points in the urban area, most of them fitted with equipment to contain smells. The RSD manages 971 refuse collection points and 1 566 bin sites and collects about 2 255 tonnes daily, including 92 tonnes removed by a contractual barging service from the outlying islands for disposal on the mainland. Following the successful trial of a static compactor for continuous refuse loading at Yeung Uk Road Market in Tsuen Wan, the device has been extended to six other refuse collection points, bringing about noticeable improvement to the environment.

The Urban Council hosted the 1995 International Symposium on Public Toilets in May and renovated 28 public toilets during the year. The RSD collects nightsoil from fibreglass toilets and both departments undertake desludging of aqua privies and septic tanks. Services for private facilities are available on a charge basis on request. The departments provide a separate clinical waste collection service for government clinics.

About $283 million was earmarked for improvement works at refuse collection points and toilets in 1995. To cope with the demand for public toilet facilities by visitors to the Tian Tan Buddhist Statue on Lantau Island, the RSD has built a 24-compartment modern flush-toilet at Ngong Ping. To meet the stringent environmental standards, waste generated from the toilet is stored up in a large cesspool, which is then conveyed by tankers to the sewage treatment works.

The Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign, organised by the Joint Urban Council/ Regional Council Keep Hong Kong Clean Steering Committee, continues its efforts to educate the public not to litter. Highlighted by two community involvement programmes, the publicity efforts were complemented by district-based activities. District bodies were encouraged to apply for subsidies under the Keep Hong Kong Clean Activities Funding Scheme. Stringent law enforcement action was maintained, resulting in a total of 34 116 litterbugs being prosecuted and fined a total $11.9 million during the year.

A one-year trial scheme on plastic waste recycling was launched in October 1994 jointly by the RSD and a charitable organisation in the Sha Tin district. The scheme received enthusiastic support from members of the public.

Controls

The USD and RSD carry out integrated pest control programmes to prevent vector- borne diseases. Measures included environmental improvement, eradication of breeding places, health education and law enforcement. Special surveillance is main- tained to prevent outbreaks of malaria in Vietnamese detention centres. Technical support is provided by the Pest Control Advisory Section of the Department of Health.