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With the approach of the Year of the Ox, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will begin a three-week major clean-up campaign across the territory tomorrow (January 3).
"Cleaning up before the Lunar New Year is a tradition. It is time for everyone to act now to improve the cleanliness of our living environment," an FEHD spokesman said.
During the campaign period, the department will thoroughly clean streets, public toilets and bathhouses, refuse collection points and public places.
"We will inspect the common parts of tenement buildings, village houses and private housing estates, cargo and passenger terminuses, schools, building sites, vacant sites and illegal cultivated sites. Cleansing, rodent and mosquito control measures will be stepped up if necessary," the spokesman said.
The operation will also cover public markets, cooked food centres and hawker-concentrated areas.
"Stallholders will be encouraged to clean up their stalls. We will carry out stringent enforcement action against any malpractices.
"To ensure cleanliness of public places, we will strengthen enforcement action and adopt a stringent approach to offences under the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) Ordinance, including littering, spitting, illegal posting of bills or posters, improper feeding of pigeons and other feral birds and dog fouling," the spokesman said.
To tie in with the department's clean-up efforts, District Councils will organise a series of promotional activities to seek local community support in the exercise.
"We call on the public to join us. It's only through concerted efforts that we can enjoy a cleaner environment," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, January 2, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:02
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