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In response to press enquiries that a group of Tai O residents have complained to Legco's Complaints Office about a lack of government help for residents in Tai O affected by the flooding caused by Typhoon Hagupit on September 24, a spokesman for the Home Affairs Department said today (October 27) that the Islands District Office (IsDO) and relevant government departments had promptly responded to the calls for assistance by the Tai O community and had taken continued actions in restoring the situation in Tai O in the aftermath of the flooding.
After the flooding, the IsDO ran a temporary shelter for residents in need of temporary accommodation. It had also engaged electricians and invited volunteers from an electricity company to repair damaged electricity installations inside individual households. The Housing Department temporarily opened up its vacant units in Lung Tin Estate for residents who required special care.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) strengthened its cleaning services in Tai O to remove debris and garbage in public places. Joint operations had also been carried out by the FEHD and the Marine Department to improve the hygiene conditions of the stilt houses.
On the request for compensation, the spokesman said the government would provide emergency relief to those who were in need but did not offer compensation as a matter of policy. So far, the government has processed about 550 applications for emergency financial assistance from the Tai O community and disbursed a sum of over $1.8 million to the affected residents.
In the event of serious flooding in future, the IsDO will open up an additional temporary shelter in Tai O for residents in need of accommodation. The Housing Department is considering converting some of its vacant units at Lung Tin Estate into a transit centre in emergency situations.
"All of these are initiatives in response to the suggestions made by the Tai O residents, and we will continue to review our emergency response and relief systems as appropriate," the spokesman said.
On flood prevention in Tai O, the Civil Engineering and Development Department has a plan to construct a wall along the section at Wing On Street next to Yat Chung in the hope of reducing the risk of flooding due to high tides under average meteorological conditions. The Drainage Services Department, Hong Kong Observatory and IsDO will also examine how best to establish a flood warning system specifically for Tai O to better protect the area from flooding.
Ends/Monday, October 27, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:29
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