BILLIONS of dollars may have to be spent by the Government on repairs of up to 25,000 man-made slopes which have never been inspected.
Most of the structures are in country park areas and remote sections of the New Territories, but some are in urban districts in Hong Kong and Kowloon.
Government geotechnical engineer Tang Moon-cheung said the figure was an estimate based on the preliminary findings of an ongoing three-year assignment, to be completed in 1997.
Australian specialists have identified more than 10,000 slopes since the study began last year. They have studied aerial photos of urban Kowloon and the northern side of Hong Kong Island.
This is a similar number to the features listed in the Government's current slopes catalogue, compiled in 1977.
With southern Hong Kong Island, the New Territories and the outlying islands still to be surveyed, Mr Tang said there could be as many as 50,000 man-made slopes throughout the territory.
