EJ InsightToday, 15:18
Activists left two tons of land waste at the government headquarters in Admiralty on Monday to protest illegal dumps in Tai Po, Tin Shui Wai and Pui O.
The group of nearly 50 protesters included representatives of the Land Justice League (LJL), Legislative Council member Lee Cheuk-yan and Southern District Councilor Paul Zimmerman, Apple Daily reported.
The group urged authorities to tighten the monitoring and prosecution of illegal dumping.
LJL executive director Eddie Chu Hoi-dick said it is heartbreaking to see the government turning a blind eye to the illegal dumping of land waste all over the territory.
Chu said he hopes the “little pile of dumping” right in front of the government headquarters would help open the eyes of officials to the threat posed by land waste to the well-being of Hong Kong.
There were 400 cases of illegal dumping of land waste in the city last year, but only seven cases were prosecuted, he said.
Police warned the protesters they would be prosecuted under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance if they did not clean up the land waste.
But Chu said they would gladly remove the waste if the government acted on the illegal dumps, especially the one near Kingswood Villas in Tin Shui Wai.
No one was arrested during the protest and government personnel cleared the waste in 15 minutes.
Labour Party member Chiu Yan-loy said illegal dumping in the New Territories is getting worse but the government is taking no action despite the numerous complaints filed with the environmental protection, planning and land departments.
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