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Balakrishnan urges stand against littering as summonses double

SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) issued 19,000 summonses for littering last year, which was double that of 2013, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.

Litter at East Coast Park. TODAY file photo

Litter at East Coast Park. TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) issued 19,000 summonses for littering last year, which was double that of 2013, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.

While this was partially due to a stepping up of enforcement action, he said people must not be afraid to stand up to those who litter and remind these people to keep the surroundings clean.

“This is one area (where) we are going to step up enforcement and we are going to continue to do so,” said Dr Balakrishnan at the South-West District’s ECo-Day Out.

Littering has been under the spotlight in recent days.

Last week, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pointed to the trash that was left behind at the Laneway music festival and contrasted it with how Myanmar football fans picked up litter after a match at the Singapore National Stadium, to urge Singaporeans to pick up after themselves.

One day later, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong also commented on the littering issue, saying Tokyo does not face the problem despite not having rubbish bins in public places. Echoing Mr Lee’s message for Singaporeans to be a “clean” rather than “cleaned” city, Mr Goh wrote on his Facebook page: “Without foreign workers, Singapore is likely to become a ‘garbage city’. Cleanliness is a character thing. It shows who you really are.”

During the ECo-Day Out event yesterday, it was also announced that a project to recycle used light bulbs will be expanded. The South-West Community Development Council is aiming to collect 50,000 light bulbs over the next five years. For each one collected, an energy-efficient bulb will be given to a needy family within the district to help them save on electricity bills. KIMBERLY SPYKERMAN

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