ENG-2009 — Page 240

180 Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

Collection of household waste is carried out all year round. In 2009, about 72 per cent of waste collection services were outsourced and about 5 220 tonnes of household waste were collected daily by the FEHD and its contractors.

The FEHD provides toilet attendants at heavily used public toilets. In 2009, about 48 per cent of public toilets were serviced by toilet attendants. 13 public toilets and five aqua privies were refurbished and 77 aqua privies were converted to flushing toilets in an ongoing drive to improve such facilities.

The FEHD and six other departments continue to take vigilant enforcement action against people who dirty public places by littering and spitting, as well as other unhygienic practices. In 2009, some 34 000 fixed penalty notices were issued.

To combat the spread of human swine influenza, the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council approved the funding of around $300 million for seven departments: the FEHD, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Drainage Services Department, the Home Affairs Department, the AFCD and the Marine Department, to adopt a series of special measures to improve environmental hygiene. These measures include stepping up cleansing of hygiene black spots, providing one-off clean-up services to common areas of private tenement buildings that do not have management organisations and enhancing cleansing and disinfection services in public markets, public toilets, busy streets, rear lanes in the vicinity of licensed food premises, leisure and cultural venues as well as welfare service units. In addition, relevant departments held a series of events, including district clean-up days, building cleansing campaigns and talks on environmental hygiene to provide local residents with information on environmental hygiene and tips on warding off human swine influenza.

Abatement of Sanitary Nuisances

To deal with sanitary nuisances such as refuse accumulation, water dripping from air-conditioners and water seepage in private premises, the FEHD issues Nuisance Notices requiring responsible parties to take necessary action to stop the nuisances. Prosecutions are taken out against those who fail to comply with the notices. During the year, the FEHD issued 4218 such notices and initiated 132 prosecutions.

Pest Control

Preventing the spread of pest-borne diseases is one of FEHD's prime tasks. The department reviews constantly the methodology and strategy for controlling the spread of pests. Anti-rodent and anti-mosquito campaigns are carried out across Hong Kong annually to urge people to help stop the spread of these pests.

The department continued close surveillance of Aedes albopictus, a major carrier of dengue fever in Hong Kong. Anti-mosquito teams conducted about 705 650 inspections of likely mosquito breeding spots and eliminated about 76 520 spots during the year.

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