Top priority will be accorded by the Government to the inspection and repairing of drains to address public concern on the role of environmental factors in the spread of SARS.

The Buildings Department will by July inspect all external drainpipes of private residential buildings and issue repair orders for defective pipes, while the Housing Department will check those in public housing estates, with half-yearly inspections thereafter.

Tougher measures: More drainage checks will be carried out and alleys will be scrubbed and washed to keep homes and surroundings clean. Enforcement against illegal hawkers will also be strengthened to improve hygiene conditions.

Unveiling its plan to brighten up the city today, Team Clean said cleanliness begins at home. In this regard, guidelines on the inspection and maintenance of residential internal drain pipes and sanitary fitments will be issued for residents to follow.

'Ambassadors' to help check drains

Estate drainage ambassadors will be engaged between May and August to check internal drains in older housing blocks or those occupied by senior citizens.

Reviews will be conducted to improve the design of drainage systems.

On improving hygiene conditions in common areas and old tenement buildings, the Government will clean and limewash common areas of over 800 old, unhygienic private buildings and collect refuse in older districts.

'Exceptional times' call for 'exceptional steps'

Noting that the actions are exceptional steps in exceptional times to bring about an immediate improvement to public hygiene on a community-wide basis, the Home Affairs Department will liaise with owners and occupiers to work out a long-term solution on building management and repair.

The team has also proposed measures to boost hygiene at public housing estates in view of the SARS outbreak at Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate.

Clean-up of 258 hygiene blackspots in 99 estates will be carried out from now until August to bring about visible improvements.

Blackspot reporting hotline to open

Apart from mobilising residents to clean, launch incentive schemes to maintain a clean environment and enhance refuse collection services, a 24-hour hotline will be set up by the Housing Department next month for the public to report blackspots and drainage defects inside housing estates.

Meanwhile, the department will also join hands with the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department and Police to step up enforcement against illegal cooked food hawkers in six public housing estates.

Stricter enforcement to tackle dripping air-conditioners will start from July. Relevant legislation will later be amended to ensure dripping air-conditioners are fixed within within three days.

Repeat offenders may face eviction

The team said suggestions to terminate the leases of and evict public housing tenants who repeatedly breach the health code will be considered.

To address the root of hygiene problems, the team will see how best to urge owners to maintain and repair their buildings, and pursue with professional institutes ways to improve urban and building design. The current policy on plot ratio for development will also be reviewed.