Imagine getting ready to go to bed with the cool night breeze flowing through your windows, only to be hit by a foul odour wafting through the air.
The sudden assault of the senses was what Woodlands residents have put up with for the past 2 months. They described that it smelled like “rotten eggs” and “dead cats”.
The smell was usually detected at night and would linger till the early hours of the morning.
In response to a resident, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said National Environmental Agency (NEA) inspections found that the smell may have come from Lim Chu Kang farms.
On Tuesday (2 Nov), Minister Fu said in a written reply to a Sembawang GRC resident that NEA had conducted inspections after receiving complaints of the foul smell plaguing Woodlands.
The agency visited industrial areas, construction sites, and farms in the Woodlands and Lim Chu Kang area during inspections.
NEA found no signs of pollution at the industrial and construction sites, reported Lianhe Zaobao.
However, they detected odour from some farms and compost yards in Lim Chu Kang.
Throughout September and October, NEA has received complaints about the bad smell.
According to TODAY Online, NEA received 140 complaints between 12 and 13 Sep and between 19 and 20 Sep.
One resident, who described the smell as concentrated fertiliser or cow dung, said the odour tends to waft through the air between 9pm and 1am.
Other residents likened the odour to vomit, a dead cat, or even rotten eggs.
During the 2 months, the prevailing wind direction was from the South or the West.
In particular, the southern wind might have blown the smells into Woodlands from the nearby Lim Chu Kang farms and compost yards.
The breeze isn’t as strong in the night and early mornings, and the smell would take longer to dissipate. Hence, the reason residents were exposed to the unpleasant experience.
The relevant authorities have contacted the affected farms and compost yard operators to resolve the situation as best as they can.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, authorities have also conducted a trial survey to collect public feedback.
This will help them better identify the source of the foul smell and work with the relevant organisations to resolve the issue.
Woodlands residents have expressed that the stench is not strong enough to disrupt their daily activities.
However, it isn’t enjoyable to have foul odours drifting through your home now and then.
While it is understandably hard to detect the source of the stench, we’re glad authorities are taking steps to alleviate the situation.
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Featured image adapted from Housing & Development Board.
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