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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. |
