Passers-by allegedly rummage through piles of garbage at Pasir Ris HDB block
A resident at Block 125 along Pasir Ris Street 11 has alleged that passers-by were seen rummaging through the piles of garbage placed in the area.
The garbage, which reportedly came from residents in the area who were doing spring cleaning, was placed near the elevator and the rubbish chute of the HDB block on Thursday (20 June).
Passers-by then rummaged through the garbage, resulting in “mountains” of garbage forming, which cleaners have said they could only fully clear after working overtime.
Piles of garbage left at Pasir Ris HDB block
Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, Mr Cui, 36, said that his neighbours had left a huge pile of garbage below Block 125.
The garbage consisted of many cardboard boxes, electrical appliances, and paper. These were placed next to an elevator. The rubbish chute in another part of the block was also full of furniture and such trash.
Mr Cui shared that the garbage appeared last Thursday (20 June) and was cleared on Saturday (22 June), with cleaners spending “a lot of time and effort” to clear it.
He added that after observing the elevator, he came to the conclusion that a resident in the block had discarded the trash.
Mr Cui went on to note that from 8pm to 10pm last Friday (21 June), he could hear the sounds of someone throwing fragile objects, such as glass bottles, into the garbage chute.
His children were unable to sleep because of the noise and “kept crying,” he said, mentioning that he believed neighbours on the floors above him were responsible.
He also heard a neighbour shouting out of the window, demanding the residents to stop throwing the items.
Another resident in the block said that the sound began in the afternoon, stopping for a while in the evening before resuming at night.
“Although it’s a spring cleanup, it’s still dangerous to throw fragile items into the garbage chute,” he said.
Cleaners work overtime to clear garbage
A cleaner at the block told Lianhe Zaobao that four cleaners worked overtime until 9pm the week before to clear the trash.
It included items such as DVDs, audio equipment, glass, and ceramic fragments.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
He added that the rubbish chutes were so full of garbage that it could not be removed with usual means.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, HDB flats in the area had also just undergone a Home Improvement Programme. As a result, a few residents seized the opportunity to carry out a bit of spring cleaning.
The resident responsible for the piles of garbage, Wu Shiyan (name transliterated from Chinese), told the Chinese daily that she had packed the unwanted items into five boxes before arranging them neatly downstairs.
However, passers-by began rummaging through the boxes to “look for treasure”, which resulted in the piles of garbage.
“I’ve told them not to rummage around, otherwise it will be hard for the cleaners to clean up, but they didn’t listen,” she said.
Town council reminds residents of need to properly dispose of waste
Responding to queries by Lianhe Zaobao, the Pasir-Ris Punggol Town Council noted that it had received two complaints about the incident.
The council then sent personnel down to clear the area.
“We always provide large waste removal services and encourage residents to make reservations through the town council’s website or hotline,” a spokesperson for the council said.
The town council also stated that it posted notices in HDB blocks to remind residents of the need to properly dispose of garbage and unwanted items, as it could otherwise create noise pollution in the vicinity.
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao.
