Cigarette litter piles up outside Funan despite 330 NEA enforcement actions

SINGAPORE: A drain outside Funan Shopping Mall was found clogged with discarded cigarette butts, even as authorities stepped up enforcement against littering in the area.

According to Shin Min Daily News, a member of the public shared photos online showing cigarette butts piled up in a drain along a passageway near the shopping mall. The post claimed that smokers regularly gather there and often throw used cigarette butts onto the ground or directly into the drain.

The person who shared the photos said the area had recently been cleaned but feared the litter would soon return if the behaviour continued.

When Shin Min visited the site, more than 10 people were seen smoking in the open-air passageway, while over 50 cigarette butts were scattered across the ground.

A security guard told the Chinese daily that security personnel mainly document the situation by taking photographs and recording details. Although they had previously asked smokers to leave, the efforts had little effect.

“We’ve tried chasing them away before, but it didn’t work. They’ll just come back to smoke afterwards,” the guard said.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it identified the area last year as one with persistent environmental sanitation issues and has since stepped up enforcement.

Measures introduced include more frequent patrols, warning signs, surveillance cameras and on-site public education. Between January and June this year, NEA carried out 330 enforcement actions in the area for related offences.

The agency reminded members of the public to dispose of cigarette butts and other waste properly, and encouraged them to report littering offences when they witness them.

Discarded cigarette butts can also pose a fire risk. Earlier this month, a fire outside an industrial building along Geylang East Avenue 3 was believed to have started after a carelessly discarded cigarette ignited a piece of cardboard. The blaze damaged five rubbish bins and a nearby truck.

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