Cigarette butts clog drain cover outside Funan despite area not being a designated smoking zone
A drain cover outside Funan was found clogged with cigarette butts in an area that is not a designated smoking zone.
According to Shin Min Daily News, a member of the public posted on Facebook that people have been gathering to smoke along the lane connecting Hill Street and North Bridge Road before casually discarding their cigarette butts on the ground and into nearby drains.
Photos showed large numbers of cigarette butts filling the drain cover, with its holes almost completely blocked.
The poster said the area had since been cleaned up, but expressed concern that it would soon be littered again if smokers continued to discard their cigarette butts there.
Problem ‘quite serious’: Security guard
When Shin Min visited the site recently, the lane beside Funan was found to be an open-air area, though it is not a designated smoking zone.
More than 10 people were seen smoking there, while over 50 cigarette butts, believed to have been discarded recently, were scattered across the ground.
A nearby security guard described the problem as “quite serious”.
He said his main responsibility was to ensure the lane remained clear for traffic and to document any obstructions, adding that he generally did not intervene when members of the public were smoking.
“I’ve chased them away before, but it didn’t help. They always come back to smoke again,” he said.
NEA took 330 enforcement actions
Responding to Stomp’s queries, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said the area around Funan was identified as a cleanliness hotspot under its Cleaner Neighbourhood initiative, launched last year to tackle persistent cleanliness issues based on litter data, public feedback and ground observations.
To address the problem, an NEA spokesperson said the agency had stepped up enforcement by increasing patrols, putting up signboards, installing surveillance cameras, and conducting on-site outreach and engagement.
Four surveillance cameras have been installed in the area to monitor and deter public health offences, including littering, the spokesperson added.
Between January and June this year, NEA took 330 enforcement actions against public hygiene-related offences in the area.
The agency also reminded members of the public to dispose of their litter responsibly and to report public health offences through the OneService app.
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