Punggol playground left strewn with litter after Deepavali celebrations, residents upset
A playground in Punggol was left covered in rubbish after Deepavali celebrations on Monday (20 Oct), prompting complaints from nearby residents and discussions online.
The following day, a Reddit user shared photos showing the playground beside Block 270 Punggol Field blanketed with trash after the festivities.
According to the post, a crowd had gathered there from around 8pm until midnight to celebrate the festival.
Source: Reddit
“This morning, there was an unbelievable amount of litter left all around,” the user wrote.
The photos showed plastic bags, burnt sparklers, and burst ‘boom bags’ scattered across the ground and benches, with rainbow confetti covering much of the playground.
MS News has reached out to the Reddit user for more information.
Residents express frustration over state of playground
When Shin Min Daily News visited the site on the evening of 21 Oct, large amounts of rubbish were still visible around the playground and on the surrounding grass.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Several residents expressed their dismay at the sight. One said he usually brings his grandson to the playground every morning but decided to turn back after seeing the mess.
Another long-time resident, who has lived nearby for 17 years, said this year’s situation was worse than last year’s celebrations.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
She added that she did not dare to bring her children there in the morning, and only saw cleaners arrive close to noon.
A cleaner told Shin Min Daily News that despite notices being put up a week before the festival reminding residents to dispose of their rubbish properly, the same issue happens every year.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
“I’ve worked here for years — it’s the same every time,” he said.
It reportedly took four cleaners about three hours to clean the playground, yet litter such as confetti and spent sparklers still remained on the grass.
Hougang also affected, drains filled with confetti & streamers
Similar scenes were observed in other parts of Singapore, including near Block 116 Hougang Avenue 1.
While most of the litter had been cleared by the night of 21 Oct, Shin Min Daily News reported that some confetti, streamers, and boom bags were still found in and around nearby drains.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Residents in the area said the mess was inconsiderate and added to the cleaners’ workload. However, not everyone felt the same way.
72-year-old resident Mr Huang told Shin Min Daily News that he could understand the situation.
“Festivals only happen once a year and last just a few hours,” he said. “I can understand — cleaners come in the morning anyway. Everyone just wants to celebrate.”
Still, some netizens pointed out that not all celebrations ended this way. One Reddit user shared that in their neighbourhood, Deepavali celebrants had cleaned up after themselves.
Source: Reddit
“The void deck was pretty much entirely clean by the time I went for my night walk,” the user reported.
Also read: Residents slammed for burning 7th-month offerings on new pavement in Woodlands
Residents slammed for burning 7th-month offerings on new pavement in Woodlands
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Featured image adapted from Reddit and Shin Min Daily News.
