Elderly cleaner welcomes Hong Kong government move to drop fine for dumping water in a Wan Chai drain
The decision to impose a HK$1,500 fine on the worker caused a public outcry, prompting her employer to offer to pay the money
An elderly cleaner has welcomed a decision by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to drop a fine against her for dumping waste water into a drain in Wan Chai.
The department said on Tuesday the decision to withdraw the penalty notice was made after consulting the Department of Justice and considering the background of 71-year-old Zhou Zhuan.
But it added: “Our officer issued the fixed penalty ticket on that day after collecting sufficient evidence which showed she had disposed of waste in public.”
It reiterated that it was an offence to dump waste, including sewage, in a public place. And it said it would continue to enforce the law.
“I feel more comfortable and at ease now after they told me the fine had been cancelled,” Zhou told the Post on Wednesday.
Zhou said officers from the department called her at around 6pm on Tuesday telling her the fine had been dropped.
“I couldn’t sleep at all and eat well beforehand. I wasn’t in any mood to work at all,” she said.