Stream close to Ma On Shan Country Park buried by tonnes of construction waste

Part of a remote stream close to a country park in Ma On Shan has been covered with tonnes of demolition waste, believed to have been dumped by unscrupulous operators.

A wide range of waste has been dumped in the 10-metre-deep valley next to the Ma On Shan Country Trail, a concrete-paved vehicle path that joins Ma On Shan Tsuen Road.

The site, 300 metres above sea level, could be one of the highest dumping grounds for construction waste in Hong Kong. It takes about 15 minutes to drive to the site from the roundabout near Hang On Estate.

Lands and environment officials still have no idea who dumped the waste, though they received complaints about it as early as July last year. They are also unsure how it has affected the stream's ecology.

The only thing that seems to be certain is that taxpayers will have to pay to remove the waste from the government-owned stream.

A visit to the site by the South China Morning Post yesterday found a 30-metre section of the stream had been covered with different kinds of waste, most believed to have been generated by building demolition and renovation. Apart from concrete and brick waste, there was broken furniture, water pipes, empty paint containers, electric wire, paper cartons and lots of wooden boards.

At least a dozen workers hired by the Lands Department have been trying to remove the waste from the valley by hand and simple tools since last week. They said the dump had once reached up to the level of the trail.