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Written by: Chen Qianting
2020-05-21 14:33
Date of last update: 2020-05-21 14:33The Office of The Ombudsman today (21st) announced that it will launch two proactive investigations, covering the maintenance and maintenance system of amusement or fitness facilities in public housing estates, as well as the mistaken connection of sewers in private buildings to storm drains, resulting in the pollution of seawater .
The Ombudsman Zhao Huixian said that public housing has a large population, and the safety of amusement facilities is very important, but the maintenance progress of some facilities is slow. This investigation will review the maintenance mechanism and the supervision of the Housing Department to find ways to improve the quality of amusement facilities. . She also pointed out that the problem of erroneous connection of sewers has always existed, and there have been cases where the mistakes have not been corrected for several years. The Appeals Department will examine whether the EPD, Buildings Department and Drainage Services Department have handled the relevant issues properly.
The Ombudsman Zhao Huixian announced that he has initiated an active investigation into the maintenance mechanism of public housing playgrounds and the misconnection of sewers in private buildings with rain drains. (Information picture / Photo by Lu Yiming)
The Office of The Ombudsman stated that as of January 2019, the public housing estates under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) have more than 4,500 playground facilities. However, in recent years, media reports have seen widespread disrepair; there are also facilities Long-term damage, but the slow progress of the maintenance, has made the residents in the village unusable for a long time. Many people even think that the design of the public housing estate playground is outdated and uniform, and cannot meet the needs of outdoor recreation and fitness.
Under the current mechanism, the installation and maintenance of the amusement facility must be carried out by the agent of the "Reference List of HA's Amusement / Physical Facilities Agents". When updating the facility, the agent will provide new product information and suggestions for the relevant housing. The village management advisory committee considers and will invite public bidding.
The Ombudsman Zhao Huixian said that the scope of the investigation mainly focused on the repair and maintenance mechanism of playground facilities, including the daily inspection procedures of the relevant facilities by the Housing Department, and the supervision of the HA on the performance of facility agents. The playground facilities under investigation include children's play components and fitness equipment. The Ombudsman hopes to explore ways to improve the overall quality of public housing estates.
The sewage drains of some private units and the common sewage drains of private buildings were mistakenly connected to the rain drains, allowing untreated sewage to be discharged directly into the sea through the rain drains. (Profile picture)
EPD says sewers misinterpret rain drains as main cause of water pollution
Another proactive investigation by the Office concerned the connection of the sewerage system in private buildings. The Office cited data from the Environmental Protection Department as saying that one of the main factors affecting the pollution of the water quality along the coast of Hong Kong is that the sewerage of private buildings is mistakenly connected to the stormwater drain. The treated sewage flows directly into the sea, causing pollution.
At present, the Environmental Protection Department can prosecute people who illegally discharge sewage according to the Water Pollution Control Ordinance. The Buildings Department can order the owners to correct the wrong connection to the drainage pipe, and can also prosecute the prosecution. The Drainage Services Department can find out the mistakes during routine inspection Canal.
Zhao Huixian revealed that the preliminary investigation of the Office found that there were many cases lasting for several years, but the problem was still unresolved; as the sewers were not corrected, as a result, a lot of sewage was directly discharged into the sea every day, causing continuous pollution. Unsatisfactory, so I decided to conduct a comprehensive investigation on this subject to examine whether the EPD, Buildings Department and Drainage Services Department have handled the relevant issues properly, and put forward suggestions for improvement when necessary.
The Ombudsman invites citizens to express their views on this subject. If you have any relevant comments and / or materials, please submit them to the Office of The Ombudsman in writing on or before June 21, 2020:
Address: 168-200 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong
30th Floor, China Merchants Building, Xinde Center
Fax: 2882 8149
Email: complaints@ombudsman.hk
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The Office of The Ombudsman Zhao Huixian (The Ombudsman)