Thousands of volunteers around the nation yesterday cleaned streets in different cities as a prelude to "National Cleanup Week," an annual project for the leadup to the Lunar New Year designed by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). The project begins tomorrow and lasts until Feb. 7.
According to the tradition, people usually throw away filthy articles and unwanted pieces of furniture prior to the arrival of Lunar New Year in order to bring good luck and make a whole new beginning for the next year.
The warm-up cleanup task was carried out in Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung County, Taichung City, Changhua County, and Taipei County.
In Kaohsiung City, Environmental Protection Administrator Chang Juu-en (張祖恩) and premier-designate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) led high-ranking officials in reminding residents of the importance of keeping the environment neat.
During the cleanup week, local governments will provide the free service of taking away large pieces of unwanted furniture.
According to Chang, keeping streets neat and clean is one indicator of a country's degree of modernization.
"Efforts to keep the environment neat should be made continuously," Chang said. "In addition to the cleanup prior to Lunar New Year, residents should repeat this regular cleanup activity promoted by local governments on the first Saturday of every month."
Yesterday, Chang visited hundreds of volunteers working on the environmental cleanup in different communities.
He stressed that in this year's cleanup program, the role played by the public in fighting dengue fever in the south was highlighted.
Residents in Kaohsiung yesterday were urged by environmental officials to diligently clean up possible breeding sites for mosquitoes, which are responsible for spreading the disease.
Hsieh said that the city has put a lot of effort into fighting the spread of dengue fever.
"We should seize the wintertime, when lower temperatures make it less suitable for the mosquito to breed, to remove as many breeding grounds as possible," Hsieh said.
Officials urged the public to throw away all unwanted containers, which could become ideal breeding sites when water accumulates in them.
Hsieh also stressed yesterday that he would work hard to ensure that Kaohsiung residents have a comfortable Lunar New Year holiday in terms of traffic control and security.
EPA officials said yesterday that each local community should take responsibility for the cleanliness of an entire area within 4km of its borough office. That way, the cleanliness narrow alleys, small lanes, and escape canals can be ensured, they said.
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