Government contract workers mistakenly removed flowers as well as fruit from cotton trees in Sheung Shui after being called in to stop cotton fibres being blown into nearby residential areas.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department decided in January to appoint contractors to remove the fruit from 90 cotton trees because cotton fibres left clothes dirty and affected people suffering from respiratory diseases, according to complaints from neighbours.
On Monday, workers began cutting off the fruit, but also removed most of the flowers and some branches. The work was halted yesterday afternoon after complaints from the public. The department said 22 of the 94 trees had been handled in the two days of work.
The flowers usually blossom between February and March, while problems with cotton fibre are at their worst in April and May.
The mistake quickly drew criticism from the community.
'It is a mistake. Workers should only take away the fruit,' said Liu Chiu-wa, a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, who works in the area. 'It is a pity that they also got rid of the flowers. They are beautiful and many people love them.'
But Liu said there had been complaints about the cotton fibres.
