ENG-2012 — Page 204

Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

Household waste is collected all year round. In 2012, about 73 per cent of waste collection services were outsourced and about 5,280 tonnes of household waste were collected daily by the FEHD and its contractors.

The FEHD provides toilet attendants at heavily used public toilets. In 2012, about 38 per cent of public toilets were serviced by toilet attendants. Six public toilets and two aqua privies were refurbished while 40 aqua privies were converted to flushing toilets in an ongoing drive to improve such facilities.

The FEHD takes enforcement action against littering, spitting, and other unhygienic practices in public places. In 2012, the FEHD issued some 35,500 fixed penalty notices.

Abatement of Sanitary Nuisances

In 2012, the FEHD issued 4,340 Nuisance Notices requiring those responsible to stop sanitary nuisances such as refuse accumulation, water dripping from air-conditioners and water seepage in private premises, and instituted 70 prosecutions against those who failed to comply with the notices.

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. Campaigns are carried out across Hong Kong annually to urge people to help stop the spread of rodents and mosquitoes. The department maintains close surveillance of Aedes albopictus, a major carrier of dengue fever in Hong Kong. Anti-mosquito teams conducted about 778,000 inspections of likely mosquito breeding spots and eliminated about 41,700 mosquito breeding places 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.

The FEHD actively promotes environmentally friendly and sustainable ways of handling ashes and alternative ways of paying tribute to the deceased. The Government encourages scattering of ashes in the FEHD's 10 Gardens of Remembrance. The FEHD provides a free ferry service for scattering ashes at sea and has employed a bigger vessel since January 2012 to meet increasing demand for the service. The FEHD also provides an Internet Memorial Service for the public to pay homage to the deceased (www.memorial.gov.hk), accessible through the mobile phone (m.memorial.gov.hk).

Columbaria

A new columbarium with 43,000 niches at Wo Hop Shek Cemetery was completed in July 2012.

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