Residents describe walking through high-rise building a ‘garbage maze’ as throwing-from-buildings problem worsens

SINGAPORE: Concerns regarding littering from high-rise buildings have been rampant in the past few months, especially from the flats located at Ang Mo Kio. With this, several residents complain that because of the lawns turning into garbage dumps, they are living in constant fear, and describe the place as a ‘garbage maze’ when they need to pass by.

As reported by Shin Min Daily News, a 49-year-old resident admitted that this problem has been going on for at least three months now, and the situation is getting even worse on weekends. He shared that the walkways and the surrounding lawns of the HDB flats are littered with kitchen waste, fruit petals, plastic bottles and food packaging. 

“The walkway leading from the ground floor of the HDB flat to the car park is a common route for residents. It is often littered with garbage, which not only smells bad but also attracts many birds to gather and forage. It is always dirty when I pass by, and I have reported it to the town council through OneService several times,” the resident claimed. 

For him, these litters do not just cause environmental pollution, but also make residents feel uncomfortable when they need to walk downstairs. 

“The environment is very dirty and messy, and I hope the authorities can make improvements. Every time I walk downstairs to the parking lot, it feels like I’m walking through a pile of garbage, and I’m worried that something might suddenly fall down,” another resident claimed, especially after hearing thuds as objects fall to the ground. 

To address these concerns, the Ang Mo Kio Town Council has posted posters at the entrances of HDB flats reminding residents not to throw garbage from windows. The posters also emphasise that repeat offenders can be fined up to $10,000 and may be ordered to serve a labour reform order.

Other related news 

In similar news, there were other residents from Bukit Bintang who experienced the same concern. A 42-year-old resident reported that garbage—specifically food scraps and diapers with excrement—were being thrown from high-rise units of their HDB block for many years now. 

The resident pointed out that the situation had worsened over the past months, and various kinds of garbage were scattered downstairs almost every single day. 

Read more about the news story here.