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A government announcement being broadcast in prime time reveals how unauthorised cultivation led to a landslide.
Ms. Chan Kuk Ping, a Choi Fai Estate resident, has been noticing unauthorised cultivation on Kowloon Peak for years.
“Before such cultivation, the hill had green trees all over.
“The illegal farmers cut the trees. Now, the slope looks pretty ugly with pieces of bare land,” she said.
Many unauthorised cultivators use inappropriate farming methods, like cross-contour cultivation and unplanned ploughing.
“With such improper farming methods, organic matter that acts as binding substances in soil is lost more quickly,” said Prof. Jim Chi Yung, head of the Geography Department at the University of Hong Kong.
“Land is less resistant to the erosion from rain. Thus, the soil structure becomes much weaker.
“Another side effect is the blockage of drains by deposits of eroded soil particles. Flooding may then occur,” he said.
Because unauthorised farming threatens lives and property, government action has been necessary.
Mr. Mak Shu Hei is the chief geotechincal engineer of the Slope Safety Division of Geotechnical Engineering Office in the Civil Engineering Department.
“After receiving complaints and enquiries from citizens and cases transferred from other departments, the Civil Engineering Department takes action at once if the illegally cultivated land poses an immediate danger,” he said.
Action varies from erection of notice boards, to containment of the cultivated land, to temporary reinforcement of the unstable slope surface, and to the removal of excess soil and structures.
Joint clearance of is carried out by the Lands Department, the District Land Office and the Geotechnical Engineering Office.
Mr. Lee Yu Yeung, senior geo-technical engineer in Mr. Mak’s Division, said they occasionally send civil engineers to inspect slopes and identify black spots for further action.
Nonetheless, the public is discontented with the government’s results.
“Government actions are not concrete and efficient,” said a female Kwun Tong resident who witnessed unauthorised cultivation in the government slope behind Lok Wah Estate.
“For a very long time, the government has not sent anyone to clear up those illegal farms.
“These illegal farmers keep on growing vegetables on the slope. I think the government has not put enough effort and time into this. The officials are just ignoring the problem.”
Mr. Lee denied that his department has not taken sufficient measures.
“We have done a lot in arousing public attention and awareness of the dangers of unauthorised cultivation.
“Our mission is to educate the public. Hence, we have produced a lot of television announcements, posters, teaching kits, promotional plastic fans and leaflets.
“We don’t advocate harsh punishments because we believe that education is far more important and fruitful,” he said.
Not all people, however, are against unauthorised cultivation.
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Prof. Andrew Malone, honorary professor of applied geosciences in the Department of Earth Sciences at The University of Hong Kong, is one of them.
“Building a garden is a natural human instinct and desire. The government should provide opportunities for people to fulfil their healthy desires,” he said.
He believes that improper drainage management, rather than unauthorised cultivation itself, should be remedied.
“The point is the cultivators divert natural water courses for irrigation of their plants. This leads to greater infiltration and more soil erosion,” he said.
He believes that the government should give out the land to unauthorised cultivators and encourage them to build beautiful gardens and provide them with safe guidance.
“Beautiful gardens can enrich the environment and natural scenery,” he said.
He described suppression of unauthorised cultivation as being like “using a sledge hammer to crack a nut”.
Mr. Marshall Byres and his wife, Dorathy, residents of Sai Ying Pun, witnessed unauthorised cultivation in Pok Fu Lam, agree with Prof. Malone.
“Unauthorised cultivators are those retired folks who don’t have a garden themselves. They cultivate the slopes as a hobby,” they said.
Mr. Byres believes that the cultivators have not done much harm to others and their plants enhance the environment.
“You see, the flowers planted by them are so charming! Why do we need to discourage such a nice kind of activity?” he said.
He hoped the authority can turn “a blind eye” to those unauthorised cultivators and tolerate their “acceptable breaking of law.”
Whether unauthorised cultivation is a merit or not is still disputable.
But one thing for sure — the maximum fine for unauthorised occupation
of official land is $10,000 and six-month imprisonment, so there unauthorized
cultivation of government land is risky indeed.
