Flood Prevention Infrastructure

The Drainage Services Department is working on a series of major flood control projects in the northwestern and northern parts of the New Territories and in East and West Kowloon, costing about $13.1 billion.

In the northwestern New Territories, improvement works to 34.3 kilometres of the major river network have been completed. With the completion of Yuen Long Bypass Floodway and the San Tin eastern drainage channel in March and April respectively, the flooding situation in the region has been substantially lightened.

In the northern New Territories, the river training works in Ping Yuen River was completed in February and the Shenzhen River Regulation Project Stage III was completed in November.

Work on 1.8 kilometres of Ma Wat River in Kau Lung Hang, Tai Po North, is due for completion by end 2008. Work on improving another 17 kilometres of upstream rivers and stormwater drains in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Fanling and Sheung Shui has also commenced and is scheduled for completion in 2010. Design work for another 16.9 kilometres of drainage channels in the northern New Territories, including the upstream portion of Ping Yuen, Sheung Yue and Ng Tung Rivers, is also in hand. Upon completion, the regional flooding problem in the northern New Territories will be overcome.

For the low-lying villages in the New Territories, 27 village flood pumping schemes are in operation to protect 35 low-lying villages. Among them, the schemes in Shui Pin Tsuen and Tai Kiu were completed in October.

In East Kowloon, contracts have been concluded for laying 15 kilometres of stormwater drains from Tsim Sha Tsui to Kwun Tong by 2011. About 1.3 kilometres of stormwater drains have been laid.

In West Kowloon, construction of about 12 kilometres of stormwater drains in Yau Ma Tei, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon Tong and Yau Yat Tsuen is due to be completed in 2007. On completion, the flood risks in West Kowloon will be substantially reduced. Implementation of the Lai Chi Kok Transfer Scheme and Inter-Reservoir Transfer Scheme (IRTS) is being planned to bring the level of flood protection at Lai Chi Kok, Cheung Sha Wan and Sham Shui Po up to the required standard. The IRTS also serves the purpose of water conservation.

The department is planning to build the Hong Kong West Drainage Tunnel to run from Tai Hang to Pok Fu Lam and the Tsuen Wan Drainage Tunnel. These tunnels will intercept flows from the upper catchments for discharge into the sea, helping to reduce flood risks at the lower catchments. Work on these tunnels will start in 2007.

Under a preventive maintenance programme, the department maintains 2 578 kilometres of watercourses, river channels and drains, from which 20 277 cubic metres of silt were removed in 2006.

Apart from conducting regular visits to the flood prevention information centre for district councillors and schoolchildren, the department also distributed pamphlets on flooding to villagers and property management offices. In April the department launched an innovative 'Sheung Wan Flood Watch System' to enhance public awareness of flood prevention. The system is also used for sending Flood Watch messages to warn residents and shopkeepers in Sheung Wan low-lying areas about flood risks.