Environmental Director Inspects Major Water Quality Improvements in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, and Sham Shui Po

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed

The Director of Environmental Protection, Dr Samuel Chui, today (December 22) conducted a site inspection with District Council members from Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, and Sham Shui Po to review the outcomes of improvements to near-shore water quality and odour in the Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing and Sham Shui Po areas.

Dr Chui met with the District Officer (Tsuen Wan), Mr Billy Au, the District Officer (Kwai Tsing), Mr Edric Leung, the Acting District Officers (Sham Shui Po), Miss Stella Wong and Miss Agnes Chan; and around 40 members of District Council from the three districts. They reviewed the progress in improving water quality and odour along both sides of Victoria Harbour, particularly in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing and Sham Shui Po. On-site demonstrations were given of innovative multi-dimensional monitoring technologies across sea, land, and air platforms, including an "Artificial Intelligence Environmental Air Nuisance Investigation Robot Dog" (AI Dog), "Ground Penetrating Radar", "Drone for Sampling and Monitoring", and "Unmanned Sampling Boat", etc. The attending councillors gave highly positive feedback on the environmental improvements in the relevant areas.

Dr Chui said, "The 2022 Policy Address set a target of reducing by half the pollution load from seriously polluted outfalls along Victoria Harbour, including areas such as Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po, by the end of 2024 while Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing districts also share the same water body. Through a series of source control measures and the application of innovative technologies, the reduction of pollution load significantly exceeded the target. By the end of last year, the overall pollution load at the relevant stormwater outfalls was reduced by nearly 90 per cent. Today, no noticeable odour was detected at the Tsuen Wan and Cheung Sha Wan waterfronts, indicating a remarkable improvement in the environmental conditions along the coastal areas of these three districts."

Over the past three years, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has proactively used innovative technologies in identifying and rectifying sewer misconnections to improve nearshore odour problems along Victoria Harbour. By the third quarter of this year, EPD teams had inspected over 5 000 manholes and tested more than 1 200 water samples in Tsuen Wan, Kwai Tsing, and Sham Shui Po districts, identifying 191 pollution cases equivalent to pollution load from 300 000 people. Through inter-departmental collaboration, the total pollution load from outfalls in Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po districts has been reduced by nearly 90 per cent, leading to substantial improvement in nearshore odour. Hydrogen sulfide monitoring devices installed at the Tsuen Wan and Sham Shui Po waterfronts indicated that the average concentrations have decreased from the previous 36 parts per billion (ppb) and 18 ppb, respectively to currently both below 5 ppb (see photos).

Dr Chui thanked the three District Councils for their affirmation of the EPD's work and their valuable opinions. He concluded, "We will continue to leverage smart technologies, work closely with District Councils, and harness community wisdom to jointly build greener, healthier and more liveable communities."

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DEP and members from three District Councils conducted site inspection with significant improvement in nearshore water quality affirmed Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CE officiates at opening ceremony of Hong Kong Park in the Loop

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (December 22) officiated at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hetao Co-operation Zone). The Hetao Co-operation Zone is one of the four major co-operation platforms among the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The Hong Kong Park is envisioned to develop into a world-class hub for technological innovation that connects the Chinese Mainland with the international community, and to serve as an important source for fostering and advancing new quality productive forces for the country.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Lee remarked that, "The development objective of the Hetao Co-operation Zone is set out to become a world-class innovation platform. As a major national technological innovation co-operation zone, it spans across two different social systems geographically, leveraging the strengths of the respective economic frameworks and judicial regimes."

"We will continue to drive forward the construction and development of the Hong Kong Park by optimising institutional integration, strengthening policy support, actively attracting high-quality enterprises and world-class research teams, etc. I am confident that the Hetao Co-operation Zone will emerge as a bridgehead and testing ground for Hong Kong's I&T development. It will also become a showcase for pioneering policies within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and across the global innovation landscape. It is a powerful Hong Kong engine for growth."

The Hong Kong Park is developed in batches under two phases. Out of the eight buildings in the first batch of Phase 1 development, two wet-laboratory enabled buildings and a talent accommodation building have been completed, providing about 32 000 square metres of floor area and 100 apartment units respectively. Over 60 institutions and enterprises have already begun moving into the wet laboratory buildings, while the talent accommodation welcomed their first batch of tenants this month. Construction works of the foundation and superstructures for the remaining five buildings have commenced and will be completed progressively starting from 2027 onwards.

Meanwhile, the planning and development layout for the Park's Phase 2 development has been finalised. The two phases together will offer a total floor area of up to 2 million square meters. Functionally, the Park will be divided into different technological zones focusing on pillar industries such as life and health technology, artificial intelligence and data science, new technologies and advanced manufacturing, thereby fostering the integrated development of upstream, midstream and downstream industries and building a comprehensive I&T industry chain.

To expedite the construction works of the Park, the Park Company has rolled out an expression of interest exercise to gauge the market's interest in selected plots of the remaining land of Phase 1 development, with a view to leveraging market forces to develop the Park in an accelerated and efficient manner. The Park Company received 27 responses and is currently analysing them with a view to preparing for launching the land plots in an orderly manner starting from 2026. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will carefully consider releasing the land parcels to the market through tender or other land disposal models, thereby achieving the objective of making best use of market resources to jointly develop the Park.

At the ceremony, Mr Lee also announced the official commencement of the "Western Cross-River Link Bridge Project" which will connect the two parks in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. This project will open up the transportation network of the Hetao Co-operation Zone, effectively facilitating the cross-boundary flow of personnel and showcasing the advantages of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong boundary facilities and innovative management policies. The two sides will adopt a design concept of integrating the cross-boundary bridge with the surrounding ecological environment and with an emphasis on low-carbon technology, safety and convenience, and a pleasant scenery, as well as adopting a "single-span across the river" approach in construction, which will serve as a new landmark to connect the two parks under the concept of "one zone, two parks" while creating an innovation network in the Greater Bay Area.

The Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Xu Qifang, the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Zhou Ji, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Mr Luo Huangho, the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, and the Permanent Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry and Chairman of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, Mr Kevin Choi, also attended the opening ceremony.

Mr Lee also visited the wet laboratory buildings of the Hong Kong Park to learn about its facilities, environment and the facilitation measures provided for the tenant enterprises by the Park Company. He also exchanged views with representatives of the I&T enterprises which have already set foot in the Park.

Source: AI-found images