The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that it has found a large amount of construction waste in Cotai’s sewer network, affecting the drainage of the sewers.
According to the statement, the bureau removed 50 tonnes of rubbish from the drainage system in the first quarter, mainly from the sewers near the hotels and resorts in Cotai. The statement noted that as there has been a lot of flooding in Cotai, the bureau scrutinised CCTV footage and discovered that there was a lot of construction waste clogging the pipes. The bureau sent officials to unclog the pipes and clean out the rubbish in the pipes located in Avenida dos Jogos da Asia Oriental, Avenida Marginal Flor de Lotus, Avenida Cidade Nova, and other streets in Cotai.
The statement noted that the bureau inspected construction sites’ drains 147 times in the first quarter, 20 of which focused on drains at Cotai hotel construction sites, and caught construction workers illegally discharging waste three times.
The bureau pledged that it will patrol more often and strictly monitor if there is illegal discharging of construction waste into the local sewer system. The statement said that it will work with the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) and Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) to inspect major construction projects, and collect samples at their sites to ensure that they have not been processing waste illegally.
The bureau underlined that an unclogged sewer network is key to flood prevention, therefore the construction workers are responsible for assessing how their project would affect nearby pipes.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows buckets of construction waste found in the sewer network in Cotai.
