ENG-2002 — Page 283

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

centres, distribution of promotional leaflets and pamphlets, media site visit and press conferences. Since the launching of the 'Outreach Programme' in September 1999, professional engineers have visited more than 50 secondary schools and held seminars with the students to discuss their work and enhance understanding of the importance of flood prevention.

Civil Engineering

Geotechnical Engineering

The Civil Engineering Department (CED) manages a comprehensive slope safety system, which has successfully brought about substantial improvement in the safety of slopes in Hong Kong by improving slope safety standards and technology, ensuring the safety of new slopes, improving the safety of existing slopes, and providing public warnings, information, education, and community advisory services on slope safety. The department audits the adequacy of the design and construction of all geotechnical works by the private sector, public authorities and government departments to ensure their long-term safety. In 2002, it audited 13 966 geotechnical design proposals and inspected 2 747 active construction sites.

The CED maintains an ongoing Landslip Preventive Measures (LPM) Programme to rectify the safety of existing slopes. In 2002, a total of about $940 million was spent on the LPM Programme. Upgrading works were completed on 266 government slopes, and all were landscaped to blend them with the surrounding environment. In addition, safety screening was completed on 320 private slopes.

The department inspects hillside squatter villages to identify huts vulnerable to landslides, recommends rehousing of the affected squatters and advises the occupants to seek safe shelter during heavy rain. In 2002, it inspected about 90 squatter villages. Over the past 20 years, more than 74 800 squatters have been rehoused on slope safety grounds.

With the availability of the Slope Maintenance Responsibility Information System on the Internet, members of the public can have ready access to information on slopes under their responsibility. Other slope-related information is also available in the Slope Information System. A bilingual version of the system has been uploaded on the Internet at the CED's Hong Kong Slope Safety website for free access by the public. The website has become an important source of reference for the public in obtaining slope-related information.

The CED continues to raise the awareness of slope safety among members of the public through sustained publicity and public education. A two-month special exhibition 'Discover Soil and Slope' was held at the Hong Kong Science Museum to promulgate the slope safety messages. TV broadcasting of Announcements in the Public Interest continues on the issues of private slope maintenance and personal precautionary measures while landslip warnings are in force. To promulgate the important slope-related messages to children, cartoon books and an animated cartoon VCD on slope safety and maintenance have been produced and distributed to the public. The department's Community Advisory Unit continues to provide useful advice to private slope owners to help them maintain and improve the condition and appearance of their slopes. In order to assist private slope owners to improve the living environment, a Layman's Guide to Landscape Treatment of Slopes and Retaining Walls has been published to provide guidance on landscape treatment for slopes.

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