I refer to the letter headlined, 'Disgusting rats', from Mr Ricky Lai (South China Morning Post, April 21).
Keeping the Provisional Regional Council area clean and hygienic is the prime concern of the Regional Services Department.
Besides launching health education programmes on a regular basis to educate the public and providing sufficient resources to clean up the public places, the department has also taken stringent enforcement action against litter offenders.
In 1997, a total of 9,922 persons were prosecuted and convicted of litter offences.
The department also provides a rodent control service. Places like refuse collection points, temporary housing areas, markets, rear lanes etc, are regularly surveyed. If rodent infestation is detected, trapping or poisoning will be employed.
A large-scale territory-wide special disinfestation operation is now being conducted. It aims at eliminating rodents by means of poisoning and improvement of environmental hygiene by removal of disused articles, proper storage of food and refuse, as well as filling of cracks and holes to get rid of hiding places for rats.
