The three-month Government Programme on Tackling Hygiene Black Spots was launched today with the aim of boosting cleansing efforts at about 600 hygiene and street management black spots in the city.

Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing, joined by a number of Government officials, visited various hygiene blackspots across the city.

Mr Cheuk and Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-Wan inspected the hygiene situation at a rear lane of Lai Chi Kok road this morning.

The Deputy Chief Secretary expressed concerns about the waste piling up as well as the sewage and rodent problems.

He explained that while the Government has the responsibility to keep the city clean and hygienic, public participation is also crucial. He urged citizens to make an effort by disposing their own rubbish properly.

“We will carry out extensive cleansing operations in all the (hygiene) black spots, including back lanes. And we will be doing that continuously.

“In the foreseeable future, I do not expect to remove those (hygiene) black spots, including back lanes, from our target list. Currently we have around 600 black spots (on our list), that number may grow in response to community feedback (on) other hygiene black spots.”

The Deputy Chief Secretary noted that surveillance cameras are effective in monitoring problematic areas of waste disposal. As a result, he said the Government will consider installing more cameras as necessary.

It will also consider reviewing fixed penalty fines for littering, which was launched 19 years ago, he added.

Mr Cheuk then inspected the surrounding area of “three-nil” buildings in Kowloon City along with Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak.

Buildings with no owners’ corporation, no residents’ organisation and no engagement with a property management company are described as “three-nil”.

Mr Cheuk denounced the piling up of construction waste on the roadside as irresponsible and pointed out that the Environmental Protection Department’s “HoHoSkips” booking service for construction waste collection provides a convenient way for the disposal of such waste.

Mr Cheuk and Miss Mak also visited Hung Hom Estate to learn about the rodent control work there.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn joined the Deputy Chief Secretary as he visited Sham Shui Po afterwards. They were briefed by Director of Buildings Clarice Yu about the follow-up work on dangerous or abandoned signboards. The department plans to remove about 570 signboards in three months. 

Additionally, Mr Tse, joined by Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, visited Oi Man Estate to learn about the improved environmental hygiene conditions after the inter-departmental operations.

They also inspected the new model of rodent control devices installed in the area.

Later in the day, Mr Tse went to Yuen Long to inspect the measures taken by the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department concerning the disposal of waste and anti-rodent work in the back alleys.

The three-month programme will focus on tackling hygiene black spots and strengthening normal cleaning work, enhancing education and publicity, as well as stepping up law enforcement.

The Government encourages the community to participate in its goal of improving Hong Kong’s environmental hygiene and cityscape.