Debated in Parliament on 3 Aug 2021.
Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether agencies have assessed how many HDB blocks in Singapore are not amenable to existing CCTV methods for investigation of high-rise littering due to the design of the blocks; and (b) what measures are available to detect and deter high-rise littering at such blocks.
There are more than 12,000 HDB blocks across Singapore, with different designs and layout. When persistent high-rise littering occurs, NEA will assess the feasibility of installing surveillance cameras at the block. NEA has explored and adopted ways to deploy cameras in tight spaces, for example with brackets, to enable surveillance at more HDB blocks. NEA also partners Town Councils for timely information sharing to investigate high-rise littering offences. For HDB blocks where camera deployment is not suitable, NEA will conduct site investigations, including interviews with relevant parties, to collect evidence.
Besides enforcement, NEA adopts complementary strategies such as shaping community norms to deter high-rise littering. Since 2020, NEA has been placing informative standees at public areas with persistent littering, to discourage offences. Town Councils also display posters jointly produced with the Municipal Services Office at HDB blocks, highlighting the environmental and social consequences of high-rise littering.
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