ENG-2014 — Page 205

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Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

Public Cleansing Services

The FEHD provides services for street cleansing, household waste collection and public toilets. All streets are swept between one and eight times a day, depending on their condition. For main thoroughfares, flyovers and high-speed roads, mechanised cleansing is provided. Depending on the conditions, public streets are washed daily or as and when there is a need. Additional cleansing services are provided where necessary to maintain environmental cleanliness and hygiene.

Household waste is collected all year round. In 2014, about 74 per cent of waste collection services were outsourced and about 5,390 tonnes of household waste were collected daily by the FEHD and its contractors.

In 2014, three new public toilets were constructed and 11 public toilets and one aqua privy were refurbished, while 15 aqua privies were converted to flushing toilets. Toilet attendant services are provided at heavily used public toilets.

The FEHD takes enforcement action against littering, spitting, and other unhygienic practices in public places. In 2014, the FEHD issued some 33,570 fixed penalty notices.

Abatement of Sanitary Nuisances

In 2014, the FEHD issued 5,584 Nuisance Notices requiring those responsible to stop sanitary nuisances such as refuse accumulation, dripping air-conditioners and water seepage in private premises, and instituted 91 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. Anti-mosquito teams conducted about 769,000 inspections of likely mosquito breeding spots and eliminated about 49,400 mosquito breeding places during the year.

Following three local cases of dengue fever in October and November 2014, the department deployed additional anti-mosquito teams to sustain year-round mosquito control efforts and also stepped up publicity to remind the public of the importance of mosquito control.

Cemeteries, Crematoria and Columbaria

The FEHD manages six government crematoria, 10 public cemeteries and eight public columbaria, and monitors the management of 27 private cemeteries.

To cater for growing public demand for columbaria, the government has adopted a three- pronged approach: increasing the supply of public niches, promoting 'green burials, and regulating private columbaria.

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