ENG-2013 — Page 205

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Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

Abatement of Sanitary Nuisances

In 2013, the FEHD issued 5,136 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 102 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 764,000 inspections of likely mosquito breeding spots and eliminated about 46,200 mosquito breeding places during the year.

Cemeteries and Crematoria

The FEHD operates six government crematoria, 10 public cemeteries and eight public columbaria, and monitors the management of 27 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 11 Gardens of Remembrance. The FEHD also provides a free ferry service for scattering ashes at sea and an Internet Memorial Service for the public to pay homage to the deceased (www.memorial.gov.hk), which is also accessible through mobile phone (m.memorial.gov.hk).

Columbaria

There was further progress in 2013 regarding the sites identified in each of the 18 districts for columbaria development. The Cheung Chau Cemetery extension (offering about 1 000 niches) was completed in December, and detailed design and site investigation works for columbarium development at the Sandy Ridge Cemetery (expected to provide 200 000 niches by batches. starting from 2022) commenced in June.

Following two rounds of public consultation in 2010 and 2011, the government aims to introduce a Bill into the Legislative Council in the second quarter of 2014 to enhance the regulation of private columbaria.

Public Education

In 2013, the FEHD's Health Education Exhibition and Resource Centre in Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui, organised 2,368 health talks for the general public and target groups, including school children, the elderly and ethnic minorities. A motor vehicle is also used as a mobile education centre to help disseminate food safety and environmental hygiene messages.

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