Ex-lawmaker questions delayed response to Kwai Chung rat plague
On.cc · 1 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
A rat infestation at Tai Loong Street Park in Kwai Chung remained visible on the night of October 23, despite government workers having gone to the site earlier for inspection, cleaning and rat-hole sealing, according to former lawmaker Kong Yuk-huan (江玉歡). She said rats were still active on the park slope, in a connected car park area, around drains and near a refuse collection point, with several seen moving in and out of burrows and a food-sharing station. Kong questioned why the problem, which residents said had persisted for years, drew an urgent multi-department response only after media exposure. She also criticized the effectiveness of Hong Kong's annual anti-rodent spending, saying the infestation showed no sign of improvement.
Key Points
- on October 23, Kong Yuk-huan visited Tai Loong Street Park and said rats were still roaming freely after daytime government inspection and cleaning work.
- Video she posted showed rats entering and leaving burrows, drains and a refuse area, with discarded mattresses left on the ground nearby.
- Kong said the slope is next to a shopping mall, homes, restaurants and a self-service food-sharing station without a door, creating hygiene risks.
- Residents told her rubbish had been left overnight at a nearby refuse point for years, and repeated complaints had failed to resolve the issue.
- She said Hong Kong spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year on rodent control, but current assessment relies mainly on captured numbers.
Why It Matters
The case raises questions about whether public money for pest control is being measured by outcomes that actually improve street-level hygiene and public health. It also points to a gap between routine complaints handling and emergency-style action once a problem becomes a media story, which can affect public confidence in environmental hygiene enforcement.