'Govt Failing To Check Construction Waste Dumping'

Lawmakers have called on the government to take tougher measures against the illegal dumping of construction waste, saying the steps initiated so far have been weak and fail to deliver results.

Legislators said village residents are still complaining that illegal dumping continues even after they make reports, and fines are too small to make any difference.

The Undersecretary for the Environment, Tse Chin-wan, told lawmakers that surveillance cameras are being used at black spots to catch people fly-tipping, and officials are stepping up inspections. There are also plans to equip construction waste trucks with GPS devices.

But lawmaker Chu Hoi-dick said surveillance cameras only address a small portion of the problem, as most of the illegal dumping and fly-tipping is done on farmland or at fish ponds.

Chu said a fundamental review is needed and real estate developers should be held responsible for the creation and disposal of construction waste.

Legislator Tony Tse said the government needs to find more ways to use technology to overcome the manpower shortage in dealing with the situation.