The Environmental Protection Department said yesterday three landfill sites will be used to dispose of the bodies of 1.2 million birds that are to be slaughtered in the next two weeks.
And the Hong Kong Buddhist Association said it was seeking advice from high-ranking monks on whether a ritual should be held to pacify the birds' souls.
Ellen Chan Ying-lung, assistant director of the Environmental Protection Department said the landfill sites will remain uncovered until all dead birds have been transferred there for disposal.
She also said special measures were being taken to reduce the risk of odours. 'We have asked the collectors not to compress the bags containing the dead birds . . . on the refuse collection vehicles. But it is inevitable that some of the bags might still break [open] and cause some smell.'
Six-metre deep trenches will be dug to accommodate the carcasses and disinfectant will be applied to kill bacteria. Ms Chan said the trenches will then be topped with 1.5 metres of soil when full. It is estimated that about 1.2 million birds will be disposed of at the three landfills in Tseung Kwan O, Ta Kwu Ling and Tuen Mun.
Wallace Ng Hon-wing, environmental protection officer at the Tseung Kwan O landfill, said the disposal area will be cordoned off and government officers will monitor the disposal process. Only workers wearing protective clothing will be allowed to enter the area.
'We will ensure that only workers with protective clothing are allowed into the area, while all workers and vehicles will be disinfected before being allowed to leave,' he said.
