Resident reports dirty, pest-infested ground floor of their HDB flat, calls for hygiene concerns

SINGAPORE: A resident complained that the ground floor of her HDB flat was infested with cockroaches and rats, especially at night. This has been happening about a year after she moved, and it raises her concerns about safety and hygiene. 

The 48-year-old female resident reported that when she moved into the unit on the fourth floor of an HDB flat in Serangoon, she found out that the local sanitation conditions were alarming. She admitted that she checked the environment of the area before moving in during the daytime, and did not see any problems at first. However, after moving in, rats and cockroaches started appearing. 

Additionally, the cockroaches now appear inside her residential unit, so she decided to seal off her garbage bins. She remarked, “Sometimes, the garbage bins downstairs are often overflowing, and there is a lot of garbage in the drains and on the ground along the way from the HDB flat to Serangoon MRT station, and cockroaches appear from time to time.” 

When she reported this incident to the town council, they stated that they had already strengthened their sanitation efforts. “In addition to routine cleaning and disinfection, we have strengthened our pest control efforts, including twice-weekly rodent extermination operations and weekly cockroach control with pesticides. These measures are part of our ongoing efforts to maintain the safety of residents and create a hygienic living environment.” 

Recently, reporters visited the area and discovered that the surroundings of the HDB flats were not messy. But, there is still the presence of litter everywhere. 

A nearby resident admitted that in the past, people would complain that trash cans were too small. However, the situation stays the same despite replacing the trash bins with larger ones. 

“It really depends on individual awareness and whether they have a sense of public morality.”

In similar news about litter and clutter, a resident also expressed his concern because his neighbour keeps adding piles of clutter along their lobby corridor. 

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