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A territory-wide Clean Hong Kong Day is organised by the Government today (June 27) with over 5,000 people participating in cleansing activities in the 18 districts.
Members of the public are also reminded of the importance of taking steps to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.
Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, said that the majority of people taking part in the Clean Hong Kong Day were volunteers including district councillors, village representatives and district hygiene squads.
He hoped that the territory-wide activities could once again draw people's attention to the importance of environmental hygiene in the prevention of diseases and also the need for community participation in maintaining public health.
Dr Ho visited the Wan Streets in Kowloon City, which were selected as one of the pilot projects by Team Clean to develop a new modality to resolve environmental hygiene problems in private streets.
He said: "I am glad to see that there has been improvement as a result of a new working modality among Government departments working along with the affected residents on environmental hygiene here."
Repair works in the Wan Streets were carried out by the Buildings Department with full co-operation from other Government departments, including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Highways Department, Drainage Services Department, Water Supplies Department and Environmental Protection Department.
Dr Ho added: "The Government tackles the problems confronting the Wan Streets in three phases. Phase One was completed last September, during which the Government had undertaken the 'act first, recover costs later' principle. Up to now, nearly 90 per cent of the landlords have paid up their share of expenses. Phase Two repairs commenced last month and are expected to be completed by August.
"Under Phase Three, the Government has issued Repair Orders to those landlords concerned. We hope that the landlords would carry out the repair works themselves as soon as possible. But if they fail to do so, the Government will adopt the 'act
first, recover costs later' principle used in Phase One and Two and will start improvement works."
Dr Ho also visited the rear lanes at Ma Tau Wai Road and Mok Cheong Street, which were the black spots identified by Team Clean. Dr Ho was satisfied with the hygiene improvement there.
With regard to the latest mosquito problem, Dr Ho said: "The 18 District Officers of the Home Affairs Department would, through the mode of Task Force, strengthen inter-departmental efforts in combating mosquitoes. Community involvement will also be enhanced to further disseminate anti-mosquito messages across the community."
With regard to the progress in the implementation of Team Clean's recommendations, Dr Ho pointed out that after consulting the districts, the Government identified 85 hygiene black spots in the middle of last year and 90 hygiene black spots at the end of 2003. Up till now, over 85 per cent of the black spots in the first batch had been cleared and about 60 per cent in the second batch had been completed.
The trial scheme of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) was another proposal by the Team Clean.
The Government had installed CCTVs at rear lanes in Yuen Long, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon City and Eastern District between the end of last year and early this year to monitor the hygiene situation and to serve as deterrence.
Dr Ho said: "The Home Affairs Department and the Food, Environment and Hygiene Department (FEHD) have done a preliminary review of the scheme and that the scheme had been successful. The hygienic condition at the rear lanes has obviously improved. The scheme has also helped FEHD in conducting enforcement operations. For example, the FEHD had successfully prosecuted several 'urinating in public places' cases in Yau Tsim Mong.
"We would consult the District Councils concerned later and would consider whether to extend the CCTV scheme to other locations."
Ends/Sunday, June 27, 2004
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