Tampines resident frustrated by repeated littering at HDB block, town council steps up CCTV monitoring

A Tampines resident is frustrated by repeated incidents of rubbish being left outside a refuse area at her HDB block, despite raising the issue with the town council since August.

Stomper Selvi said the problem has persisted on the fourth floor of Block 872A Tampines Street 86, despite her repeated feedback to Tampines Town Council.

In an email correspondence seen by Stomp, Selvi first wrote to the town council on Aug 16, requesting the relocation of an existing CCTV camera or the installation of another camera to monitor the area outside the bin centre.

She said people had been leaving rubbish in an area that she believed was not covered by the existing camera.

In its Aug 18 reply, the town council said her suggestion had been submitted for review and asked whether she had any information or evidence that could help identify those responsible.

Selvi replied that she could not identify the culprits as she had not witnessed them disposing of the rubbish.

She also maintained that the CCTV camera was not positioned at the correct angle.

After she followed up on Sept 5, the town council informed her on Sept 9 that an additional camera was scheduled to be installed by the end of September.

However, in another email on Oct 30, Selvi said the camera had still not been installed and that rubbish continued to be left outside the designated area.

“I refer to the reply from you,” she wrote. “Until today, there is no additional camera installed. We still have people throwing rubbish outside the area.”

The town council subsequently apologised for the delay, saying its contractor had committed to installing the camera by Nov 11.

Photos shared with Stomp show various items left along the common corridor on different dates, including an aerosol can on Aug 8 and plastic bags on Sept 4 and Oct 30.

Town council steps up monitoring and resident engagement

In response to Stomp’s queries, Tampines Town Council said it had been monitoring the recurring issue of improper refuse disposal at Block 872A since it was first brought to its attention.

“We have put up notices reminding residents to dispose of refuse responsibly and sought information to help identify those responsible,” a town council spokesperson said.

However, these efforts had not been successful, prompting the town council to step up its engagement with residents through door-to-door visits.

“Following site inspections and observations, we have also increased CCTV coverage to better monitor the affected area.”

The town council did not specify whether the additional camera mentioned in its earlier correspondence had been installed.

It said it would continue monitoring the situation and take appropriate enforcement action where there was sufficient evidence to identify those responsible.

“In the meantime, our cleaning teams will continue to clear improperly disposed refuse promptly to maintain cleanliness and minimise the risk of pest infestations,” the spokesperson added.

The town council thanked Selvi for highlighting the issue and reminded residents to dispose of their rubbish responsibly.

“Keeping our neighbourhood clean requires everyone’s cooperation, and we encourage all residents to dispose of refuse at designated locations so that our shared spaces remain clean and pleasant for everyone.”

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