FEHD strives to improve environmental hygiene conditions in various districts

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (June 29) that the FEHD has been adopting a multi-pronged approach to enhance Hong Kong's overall hygienic level by addressing the hygiene conditions in various districts, including carrying out a series of measures against fouling of public places because of wild animal feeding, shop front extension, and accumulation of rubbish and articles.

     The FEHD is mainly responsible for maintaining street cleanliness and environmental hygiene. For fouling of public places because of bird or wild animal feeding, the FEHD could issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) of $1,500 to offenders pursuant to the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction) Ordinance (Cap. 570). Moreover, the FEHD has hung up warning banners at wild animal feeding black spots in different districts, and has distributed promotional leaflets to remind members of the public not to feed wild animals and dirty public places. The FEHD has also stepped up its cleaning work at public places dirtied by feeding of wild animals. From January to May this year, the FEHD issued more than 170 FPNs against people who dirtied public places because of bird feeding.

     The FEHD also adopts specific measures based on the actual conditions in individual districts to improve the hygiene conditions. Since it is more common in the Southern District for wild pigs to look for food in rubbish, the FEHD has placed more than 60 specially designed rubbish bins with foot pedals at locations where wild pigs usually appear in the district, so as to prevent them from pushing over the bins and scattering refuse on the ground while looking for food. The relevant department has also placed some newly-designed rubbish bins at multiple locations in the Southern District. The new-design rubbish bin is housed in a fenced enclosure fixed to the ground to prevent wild pigs from dirtying the public place by pushing over the bin. To target issues including feeding of wild animals or birds, the FEHD has also stepped up enforcement in the Southern District and disinfected public places dirtied by feeding of wild animals with diluted bleach solution. From January last year to June 22 this year, the FEHD initiated 106 prosecutions against concerned people in the Southern District.

     In addition, illegal extension of business by shops may lead to street obstruction and environmental hygiene problems. This problem is a street management issue which falls within the purview of a number of government departments. The core function of the FEHD is to maintain environmental hygiene. Hence, it accords priority to handling cases causing obstruction to scavenging operations or cases relating to illegal hawking or unauthorised extension of food premises, and takes enforcement action in the light of the situation on the ground, including issuing summons, making arrests and issuing FPNs of $1,500. Moreover, the FEHD takes part in joint operations with other departments according to need, to combat obstruction of pavements and unlicensed hawking.

     The FEHD attaches great importance to street obstruction by shops and placing of articles in public places. From January to May this year, 6,215 FPNs were issued to relevant offenders in various districts. The FEHD also noticed that shops in the Eastern District (including traditional markets in areas of Chun Yeung Street in North Point, Kam Wa Street in Shau Kei Wan, Shing On Street in Sai Wan Ho and Yee Fung Street in Chai Wan) extended their business areas to passageways and placed goods and miscellaneous items on carriageways, causing obstruction to pedestrians and traffic. In this connection, the FEHD has taken stringent actions against illegal acts. During the period of January to June 22 this year, the FEHD made 38 arrests, issued 434 FPNs and 574 summonses to offenders for unlicensed hawking or obstruction of public places in the district. The FEHD also confiscated over 685 kilograms of goods and seized over 770 kilograms of abandoned articles of hawkers.

     The FEHD has also noticed that some private waste collectors, scavengers and shops stored miscellaneous items and foam boxes for recycling at public areas in the Southern District. The FEHD issued 212 FPNs, initiated 76 prosecutions and issued 65 Notices to Remove Obstruction from January last year to June 22 this year, targeting shop front extensions in Aberdeen Centre and some shops in the "Fifteen Houses' nearby area in the Southern District.

     To improve environmental hygiene, the FEHD combats illegal dumping in a multi-pronged manner. Apart from stepping up cleansing services, publicity and education and enforcement actions, the FEHD has installed Internet Protocol (IP) cameras at illegal dumping blackspots. The IP cameras capture video footage of the vehicles that illegally dump the refuse so that the FEHD can identify and prosecute the registered owners of the vehicles, and plan for more effective enforcement actions based on the time and mode of such offences for better deterrent effect, thereby enhancing environmental hygiene. Currently, 270 illegal dumping blackspots in various districts have been installed with IP cameras. The FEHD has also set up 40 dedicated enforcement teams to step up inspection and anti-littering enforcement at more serious fly-tipping blackspots around the territory.

     The FEHD will continue to monitor the hygiene conditions in various districts and implement the above improvement and management measures to improve the overall hygiene conditions in Hong Kong.