SINGAPORE — The Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and the National Environment Agency (NEA) will “seriously” study the feasibility of penalising flat owners if litter originates from their homes, even if the exact culprit cannot be identified on camera, said Dr Vivian Balakrishnan yesterday.

Giving Parliament an update on the review of the installation of high-rise littering surveillance cameras, the Environment and Water Resources Minister also said the NEA will no longer inform residents of when surveillance cameras will be installed or removed from their blocks “to achieve a greater deterrent effect”.

“This means there will no longer be advance warning for recalcitrant litterbugs,” he said, in a written reply to a question submitted by Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade GRC).

Previously, the NEA sent letters to residents telling them when and where a camera would be installed.

Last month, it successfully prosecuted three high-rise litterbugs caught on camera. They were each fined S$600 by the court.

Dr Balakrishnan reiterated that “cameras should only be used as a last resort”.

“Our primary line of defence must still be the cultivation of social graciousness and a sense of collective responsibility for the safety of our neighbourhoods,” he said.

Currently, those convicted of high-rise littering for the first time can be fined up to S$1,000 and ordered to perform Corrective Work Order for up to 12 hours. WOO SIAN BOON