ENG-2010 — Page 233

Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries 187

Collection of household waste is carried out all year round. In 2010, about 72 per cent of waste collection services were outsourced and about 5 300 tonnes of household waste were collected daily by the FEHD and its contractors.

The FEHD provides toilet attendants at heavily used public toilets. In 2010, about 46 per cent of public toilets were serviced by toilet attendants. 14 public toilets were refurbished and 43 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 cause environmental hygiene problems in public places by littering and spitting, as well as other unhygienic practices. In 2010, the FEHD issued some 33 000 fixed penalty notices.

To combat human swine influenza, the Government obtained about $300 million for seven departments to implement a series of measures to improve environmental hygiene. The departments are: 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. The measures adopted include thorough cleansing of 105 hygiene blackspots; providing one-off clean-up services to common areas of some 5 000 private tenement buildings that do not have property management bodies; enhancing cleansing and disinfection services in public markets, public toilets, busy streets, rear lanes in the vicinity of licensed food premises; and stepping up publicity and educational programmes on personal, domestic and environmental hygiene.

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 those responsible to stop the nuisances. Those who fail to comply with the notices are prosecuted. During the year, the FEHD issued 3 887 such notices and initiated 146 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 maintains close surveillance of Aedes albopictus, a major carrier of dengue fever in Hong Kong. Anti-mosquito teams conducted about 790 490 inspections of likely mosquito breeding spots and eliminated about 55 220 spots during the year.

Cemeteries and Crematoria

The FEHD operates six government crematoria, 11 public cemeteries and eight public columbaria, and monitors the management of 28 private cemeteries.