The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement on Wednesday that it dredged and cleaned over 244,000 metres of the city’s sewers and rainwater catchment systems more than 31,800 times last year.
The statement noted that the bureau received about 2,200 sewage-related complaints last year, with the number of cases related to sewerage problems decreasing by nearly 20 percent compared to 2021.
Among the 839 and 589 inspections of eateries and construction sites respectively, the bureau filed 99 cases of poor cleanliness of oil separation systems in the eateries last year, with nine of them ordered to suspend their operations as their oil separation systems had not been updated for a long time. The statement pointed out that the number of such violations in eateries and construction sites decreased by 50 percent and 40 percent respectively compared to the previous year.
The statement said that the bureau regularly carries out inspections of the operation of public drainage systems in a “sequential manner”. In particular, the statement added, in response to monsoon rains, the bureau has been stepping up inspections and dredging of the drainage networks in areas prone to flooding in the past.
The statement underlined that protective measures are also in place, including arranging for staff and contractors to be on standby 24 hours a day during monsoon rains for the emergency dredging of sewers to ensure the normal operation of drainage.
The bureau urged the restaurant sector and construction sites once more not to affect the operation of the city’s sewers through illegal discharges.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) on Wednesday shows IAM staff members cleaning a pumping station.
