ENG-2003 — Page 282

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

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and Ta Kwu Ling areas. The first undertaking is a joint project between the HKSAR Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, and the Stage I and Stage II works on the Shenzhen River have been completed. These works, together with the completion of river training works in the lower and mid-stream of the River Indus and the River Beas, have basically eliminated the risk for formerly flood-prone villages in the Lo Wu, Tin Ping Shan and Ho Sheung Heung areas.

The Stage III works in the Shenzhen River project have commenced in phases since 2001 and are scheduled for completion in early 2006. These works include the training of four kilometres of the river's channel from Lo Wu to its confluence with the River Ganges.

To tackle the flooding problem in the Ta Kwu Ling area, a drainage rehabilitation scheme for 1.7 kilometres of the River Ganges is under way for completion at the end of 2005. Design work for another 21.5 kilometres of drainage channels in the northern New Territories is also in hand, including the upstream portions of the rivers Ganges, Beas and Indus, and the Ma Wat and Kau Lung Hang channels. On completion of these remaining river training works, the regional flooding problem in the northern. New Territories will have been overcome.

In addition to the river training works, village flood pumping schemes have been implemented to protect low-lying villages from flood hazards. These schemes involve construction of bunds around villages and pumping of stormwater from within the bunded area to an outside channel during rainstorms. Construction of a village flood pumping scheme for Chuk Yuen Tsuen and Ha San Wai, near Fairview Park in Yuen Long, was completed in March, eliminating the flood risk in this 'black spot'. Altogether, 21 schemes are now in operation. Similar schemes for Ma Tin and Shui Pin Wai are under construction for completion in early 2004. Two more schemes at Wang Chau, and. Mai Po Lo Wai and Mai Po San Tsuen are under construction. Another two schemes, at Shui Pin Tsuen and Tai Kiu, are at the detailed design stage. In West Kowloon, the Stage I drainage improvement works, which commenced in 1998, were completed in mid-year. These works included laying about 10 kilometres of stormwater drains in Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Kowloon Tong, Sham Shui Po and Lai Chi Kok. Drainage improvement works have also been completed at Nathan Road between Boundary Street and Nullah Road, providing initial relief to the flooding problem in Mong Kok.

The Stage II works, which commenced in phases in late 1999 and 2001, are scheduled for completion in 2004. These works include improvements to about 23 kilometres of stormwater drains in Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, Sham Shui Po, Cheung Sha Wan and Lai Chi Kok. This stage also includes the construction of large flood storage tank underneath the Tai Hang Tung Recreation Ground in Mong Kok and a 1.5-kilometre stormwater transfer tunnel from Kowloon Tong to Kai Tak Nullah. The Stage III works also are under way for completion in 2007. These works include laying about 11 kilometres of stormwater drains in Yau Ma Tei. The department has completed seven Drainage Master Plan (DMP) Studies to review the condition and performance of the existing stormwater drainage systems in various flood-prone areas throughout Hong Kong. Phase I of the drainage improvement works as recommended in the Studies commenced in December 2001 in Yuen Long areas. Further packages of drainage improvement works for other regions have been included in the Public Works Programme and are at different planning and detailed design stages. Another DMP Study for southern Hong Kong Island