Hong Kong 2003
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Public Cleansing Services

The FEHD has been providing effective and efficient public cleansing services, such as street cleansing services, waste collection and provision of public toilets.

The department provides manual street sweeping services in all urban and rural areas. The frequency of sweeping varies from once to eight times daily, depending on the need in each area.

Waste is collected daily throughout the year, except on Lunar New Year's Day when only major refuse collection points are opened for collection of domestic waste and junk. The department has 259 refuse collection vehicles for collecting domestic waste and junk. In 2003, about 5 899 tonnes of domestic waste were collected every day.

To meet growing public expectations, the department has taken various measures to improve public toilet facilities, including stationing cleaners in toilets with high usage rates. Under a regular refurbishment programme, 51 public toilets were renovated during the year.

Being responsible for the provision of public cleansing and environmental hygiene services, the FEHD was directly involved in the wide-ranging actions taken to combat SARS. In addition to enhancing street cleansing and washing services in order to provide a cleaner and more hygienic city environment, the department, as a member of the Multi-disciplinary Response Team, played a key role in the proactive investigation of SARS cases. The department carried out extensive pest control duties and investigations, demonstrated effective disinfection methods to all households in which SARS had occurred, and inspected the cleanliness of common areas, such as lift lobbies, in SARS-affected buildings. The FEHD also disinfected the 264 residential units in an evacuated block, and assisted in providing emergency cleansing and waste collection services at the designated isolation centres.

In collaboration with the Information Services Department, the Housing Department and the Home Affairs Department, the FEHD distributed to all residential units and management agencies leaflets that gave guidelines on household disinfection and on inspection and disinfection of the common areas in residential buildings.

To demonstrate the determination of the Government and the community in combating SARS, a community participation event — a 'Territory-wide Cleansing Day' organised by the Home Affairs Department — was held on April 19 and 20.

Working in collaboration with other departments and participating communities, the FEHD provided cleansing services at streets, public places, rear lanes and environmental hygiene 'black spots'; inspected buildings including old tenements; disseminated health education messages on the importance of environmental hygiene; and took stringent enforcement action. It cleared 220 hygiene 'black spots', collected or removed about 160 tonnes of junk and refuse, inspected more than 3 300 buildings, issued over 300 statutory notices and administered some 800 verbal warnings.

     
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