Rice thrown out of HDB flat window: 29,000 cases of high-rise littering investigated yearly, says NEA

Despite knowing that it is illegal to throw litter out of high-rise HDB flats, some individuals continue to do so, often without regard for the consequences.

Recently, a homeowner at Block 4 Lorong Lew Lian was caught in the act of high-rise littering, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA) in a statement on Saturday (May 18).

In a Facebook post published the same day, NEA said it began its investigations after receiving reports of such issues at the block. Within a week, NEA captured a resident throwing rice out of their window, and promptly served a notice to the flat owner.  

NEA wrote in the post: "Littering from residential flats is a serious offence as it poses a danger to the public, dirties the environment and threatens our public hygiene." 

According to the NEA, it had investigated around 29,000 instances of feedback involving high-rise littering per year from 2021 to 2023.

Over the same period, the agency also deployed an average of 2,500 cameras annually, and conducted about 1,100 enforcement actions against people caught committing high-rise littering.

Such enforcement actions include taking high-rise littering offenders to court, where they may be issued a fine and sentenced to undergo a corrective work order.

NEA shared in their post that they have been stepping up enforcement efforts to better deter such cases of high-rise littering from occurring in the future.

This includes "placing standees displaying information on ongoing surveillance or localised statistics on offenders caught at flats with persistent high-rise littering feedback".

Town Councils, in collaboration with the Municipal Services Office, have also produced and displayed posters at Housing Board blocks. These posters highlight the environmental and social impacts of littering, said NEA, contributing to efforts in deterring high-rise littering.

In comments to the post by NEA which showed rice thrown down from the unit, several netizens expressed their disgust.

One wrote: "Has to be a sick mind that does this... unless it was some weird accidental moment of rice falling off from the window... The things you'd find atop the platform landing when you peek down might just surprise you!"

Another wrote: "Really need to fine them and even confiscate their house if it persists. No chance should be given if it is a second offence."

ALSO READ: 'Water bottle flew before our eyes': Bukit Panjang residents spooked by high-rise littering

aishahm@asiaone.com

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