RECENTLY, I was at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Chek Jawa in
Pulau Ubin. At both sites, I saw a lot of litter among the
mangroves, such as plastic bottles and food wrappers.
I exercise at the Tampines Central Park almost five days a week
and the litter there is equally bad, especially on a Sunday or the
morning after a public holiday. Many young people spend the night
in the park and litter everywhere, even though there is a rubbish
bin nearby.
Last Saturday, a football tournament was held at the park and
the next morning, the area was full of litter.
It is not just the young who are littering, the adults are doing
the same. Drink cans and cups are left on the carpark staircase
railing and used parking coupons thrown on the ground.
At the letter boxes underneath HDB flats, adults do not even
bother to throw unwanted fliers and brochures into the bins
provided.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) should employ more
part-time officers during weekends to help arrest this littering
problem. They should patrol areas where there are public events
taking place.
What NEA is doing now is not enough. We need more manpower to
stop all these litterbugs.
Philip Foong
