Work on the West Rail project may have been partly to blame for flooding that submerged villages, brought havoc to roads and forced light rail services to halt in the northwest New Territories last month, a government report said.
Despite the admission, officials said they were not sure whether the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation was responsible for paying compensation to villagers.
The report was delivered at a Legco planning, lands and works panel meeting yesterday as Drainage Services Department officials briefed legislators on their report into the April 14 flash-flood. The report said: 'The flood depth in the close proximity of [West Rail] works at Castle Peak Road near Kei Tei and Tai Kiu Tsuen could have been increased slightly due to [the work].
'The increase of the catchment area draining into Sheung Cheung Wai, part of the West Rail permanent work under construction on April 14, likewise could induce a rise of water level,' said the report.
Democrat Lee Wing-tat said: 'If the Government can write that West Rail work indirectly caused the flooding, I am very surprised the Government cannot say West Rail should bear part of the responsibility.' He said his party would move to set up a select committee to look into accountability. Deputy Secretary for Works Chan Wing-sang said the Government inquiry was impartial and there was no question of covering up or trying to protect the interests of West Rail. He said: 'It is very difficult to collect evidence now because the flood was a month ago.' He said there was no general policy on paying compensation because it would be a legal problem. Villagers should report their cases if they had evidence damage was due to West Rail work.
KCRC capital projects senior director James Blake maintained West Rail work was not responsible. 'The cause of the flooding is beyond doubt the heavy rainfall and the natural topography of that area. We have said the West Rail work did not cause or aggravate the flooding.' On the morning of April 14, 430mm of rain fell in the northwest New Territories.