A significant amount of vegetation that once grew on the hill beside Bukit Batok MRT station has been cleared, about three months after it made headlines for being infested with hundred of rats.
However, the barren land is not the result of an operation to weed out rats, said pest controllers.
“I believe (authorities) are doing their so-called routine maintenance, but this time round they’re doing a bit more. Actually, it comes after our exercise. They didn’t want to do this earlier so as not to jeopardise the whole rodent removal exercise,” said Mr Bernard Chan, general manager at Star Pest Control.
The hill had been declared “rat-free” in early January.
When contacted, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) said it was carrying out clearance to “better maintain the land”. HDB said that the “bare” portion of the land is temporary as re-turfing is being carried out.
Star Pest Control said it has not discovered any new signs of rats in the area. It said the rodents could return if people do not dispose of food properly, or feed strays, providing a supply of food for the rats.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
