Tag: NEA

Rat Problems In Bedok South?

Residents at a cluster of blocks in Bedok South Avenue 3 are worried that their area may become “the next Bukit Batok hill” if the growing number of rats there is left unchecked.

Many rodents have been spotted around blocks 69 to 72 in the past year. Some residents said they have seen swarms of 20 rats scampering around in a carpark at night.

In December, a hilly area near Bukit Batok MRT station was infested by rats. This was blamed on leftover scraps from the indiscriminate feeding of stray dogs. More than 300 rats there were killed by pest controllers over two weeks.

Bedok South residents who spoke to The Straits Times suggested several possible causes – a nearby garbage collection point and a food disposal area near a coffee shop in Block 69.

East Coast Town Council (ECTC) said it was alerted to the rise in rat numbers by conservancy workers and residents last week, and has since taken measures to control the pests.

Mr Adrian Theseira, managing director of Wipeout Pest Control Services, which is leading the extermination exercise, said it has found more than 30 rat burrows and nests across blocks 69 to 72.

As of Monday night, it caught 38 rodents using traps in areas such as drains and rubbish chutes. The rats caught were killed. Since last Thursday, pest controllers have also placed poison in rat burrows.

On Monday night, The Straits Times spotted more than 10 burrows, two live rats and a dead one on the pavement next to the coffee shop.

An ECTC spokesman said residents can expect to see rat carcasses in the area during the exercise, which will last until early next month. Residents are advised to call the town council so it can send workers to remove the carcasses.

She also urged residents to help control the rat population by eliminating food sources, possibly scraps left over from the feeding of stray cats and pigeons.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it received several complaints about rats around Block 70 late last month. Inspections found 16 burrows and rat droppings in a bin centre and two food shops, which have since been given warnings.

Its officers have spoken to the owners and occupiers of the shops on proper waste disposal.

NEA also said it is working with the town council to step up estate cleaning and maintenance of the rubbish chutes

The Straits Times understands that a metal disposal container was installed this year at the Food Park food court to improve its waste management. Before that, scraps went into pails without lids.

Mr John Teo, 70, who lives in Bedok South’s Block 69, said the rat population grew in the last eight months. The taxi driver, who watches television with his friends at Food Park every night, added: “In the last two to three months, there are smaller ones appearing, which means they are breeding.”

Another resident, Mr Tan Teck Chin, 47, said: “It’s a bit uncomfortable to eat and see rats so near.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

April 8, 2015
NEA Took Enforcement Action Against Tekka Market Stallholders For Improper Storage Of Fresh Meat

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it has taken enforcement action 14 times against stall holders at Tekka Market for improper storage of fresh meat.

NEA said under the Environment Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations, any person selling raw meat – such as pork, chicken and mutton – must store the raw meat in a chiller at all times. It said that stall holders who contravene this regulation face a fine of up to S$2,000.

During a recent visit by Channel NewsAsia to Tekka Market, customers were found to be allowed to touch poultry meat, which had been left out of the chillers.

“I thought authorities said that meat can’t be placed out in the open?” said one customer at the market. “I see some stalls that place the meat outside, while others put it inside the chillers. There is nothing customers like us can do anyway.”

Health experts said raw meat should not be kept out in the open.

Said Assistant Professor Yang Liang from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Biological Sciences: “Considering the high temperatures of Singapore, it is really essential to make sure all the meat and other food are always maintained at cold temperatures.

“Bacteria can be found in the air, can be found from the body of the person who sells the chicken or meat. If we do not maintain the chicken at the right temperature and we do not cook it the right way, depending on the source of the micro-organisms, some of them can be very dangerous.”

The contamination may not be deadly, but those who consume contaminated food could still suffer from diarrhoea for a couple of days. And contrary to popular belief, cooking does not always make it safe said Asst Prof Yang.

“If we deep-fry, it can almost kill most of the bacteria, but I am not totally sure about some of the spores that the bacteria produce. Spores are a kind of fungi. Certain bacteria can produce spores, which can be extremely tolerant – even in several hundreds of degrees, they can survive.

“Do not rely on just cooking; it is not a way to kill the bacteria,” he added.

The stall keeper of Wee Chai Fresh and Frozen Chicken Supplier at Tekka, Mr Mohamed Rasun, said they only take their produce out of the chiller on weekends to attract customers and allow them to see the goods.

“I know by the law it is not right. We are (going) against the law, but we have no choice,” he said.

“So far our customers have never complained about our chicken being bad or dirty,” he said, adding that every hour, ice is put on the chickens put out of the chiller to keep them fresh.

Some customers Channel NewsAsia spoke to had mixed opinions.

“These are fresh chickens, so it probably won’t be a problem,” said one. “But if you keep it outside for a long period of time, then it is a problem.”

Another disagreed. “I never buy (raw meat from) here. A lot of people touch it.”

Stall owners said authorities have been conducting checks, and have warned errant stall holders. Some also said they have been fined in the past for similar practices.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 10, 2015
AHPETC Fined S$800 For Holding CNY Fair Without Permit

The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC), run by the opposition Workers’ Party, was on Wednesday (Dec 24) fined S$800 for holding a festive trade fair without a permit earlier this year.

A district court had found the town council guilty on Nov 28 for flouting Section 35 of the Environmental Public Health Act. AHPETC faced a fine of up to S$1,000.

AHPETC ARGUES FOR NOMINAL FINE

In its mitigation plea, defence lawyer Peter Low said AHPETC “is not deserving of the maximum fine” of S$1,000 and instead argued for a nominal fine of S$200.

He urged the court to take into account the particular circumstances that the town council found itself in at the time of the offence. Among them, that AHPETC was uncertain as to whether the National Environment Agency (NEA) would require the town council to apply for a permit for organising its Chinese New Year fair.

The town council also went ahead to fill up the application form it received from the NEA despite having reservations over the requirements in the form.

Mr Low also argued that the town council showed substantial compliance of NEA’s demands, and when the town council highlighted to NEA that some of the requirements were unreasonable, the agency “maintained silence as to why it imposed unreasonable conditions”. These conditions include getting support from the area’s Citizens’ Consultative Committee for the running of the fair.

Mr Low said AHPETC “honestly believed it was justified in proceeding without a trade fair permit”.

Prosecution lawyer Isaac Tan though said the town council was deliberate in its action and unremorseful.

Elaborating on his grounds for sentencing, District Judge Victor Yeo said the undisputed fact was that the town council made a conscious decision to start its fair a day earlier despite being told by the NEA that its application for a permit was incomplete. He reiterated that the true objection of the town council centred on the conditions attached to the permit and not the requirement for a permit.

He added AHPETC had also ignored repeated warnings by the NEA that it could face prosecution if it continued with the fair. The fair ran its full course for three weeks.

A nominal fine, said the judge, would send the wrong signal to others who want to organise temporary fairs.

“In deciding on the appropriate fine to impose other than the duration of the the temporary fair, I have also considered the nature and the scale of the temporary fair. Suffice for me to note, the event was held at the sheltered Hougang Central Hub, in the vicinity of commercial shops and residential blocks, where considerable human traffic can be expected. The size of the fair was not small as it covered about 560 square metres, accommodating five stalls and numerous benches,” said District Judge Yeo.

AHPETC UNABLE TO ORGANISE ACTIVITIES, SAYS SYLVIA LIM

AHPETC Chairman Sylvia Lim said she respects the court’s decision but is not satisfied with the outcome, adding that the issue is a matter of public interest.

“The reason why we contested the case in court is not because we want to give any problems to any Government agency but we believe there’s a public interest question involved. How Government agencies should exercise the powers given to them under the law and whether they act in a just and fair manner,” she said.

She added that the town council has been hampered in managing common areas under its charge, and that it has not been able to organise activities to benefit residents in the area.

This, said Ms Lim, has also affected the town council’s revenue source.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

December 26, 2014
Rat Infestation At Bukit Batok

SINGAPORE: A rat infestation has been spotted in the vicinity of Bukit Batok MRT station. Simulation system operator Ryan Keith, 33, is a longtime Bukit Batok resident, and recorded a video of the rat infestation on Tuesday evening (Dec 16), at the hill just beside the train station.

“I was there for about 10 minutes and I think I saw more than 50 rats,” he told Channel NewsAsia. “This spot is near to many eateries, and rats can breed very quickly and bite through wires, so I am quite concerned.”

He said he has approached the National Environment Agency (NEA) about the problem, and they told him that “they will look into it”.

Channel NewsAsia understands that this is a plot of state land under the management of the Housing and Development Board (HDB), as an agent of the Singapore Land Authority. Channel NewsAsia has approached the HDB for comment.

When Channel NewsAsia visited the area on Wednesday evening, more than 30 rats were seen scurrying about, although residents say that the number may sometimes be higher.

The MRT station is adjacent to several food establishments, including McDonald’s and a hawker centre.

Some McDonald’s staff Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they are worried that the rats might eventually enter the restaurant.

A pack of stray dogs were also spotted near the rats’ nest. Cleaners working at the MRT station said they have seen people feeding the dogs in the evening, despite a large sign that forbids them from doing so. Residents also said that the remnants of the food given to the dogs are eventually eaten by the rats. The rats appear aggressive, and the dogs seem afraid of them.

Some residents are worried about the diseases that these rats and stray dogs may carry, and are calling for the authorities to take action.

“One day, if they run out of food, they will just go to the eateries around here. They might even run to the station and people might get bitten,” said a resident Channel NewsAsia spoke to.

Another concerned resident said: “Before, there were just a lot of stray dogs. Recently you can see a lot of mice running all over the place. I think the authorities should do something about this because there are a lot of food stalls here. It is dangerous.”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

December 18, 2014
Bags Of Raw Chicken Left Unattanded Outside Buffet City International Buffet Restaurant

Every morning around 8am, you can see bags of raw chicken left unattended, outside the door of Buffet City International Buffet Restaurant! This restaurant is near Pinnacle@Duxton.

I took some pictures. The restaurant was still closed when I took them. Look at this:

This is very unhygienic! What if stray animals or pests play around with the chicken?

The restaurant has to do something about this. It’s unfair for the patrons to eat food that was left outside like this. So unhygienic.

Concerned Citizen

*Editor’s Note: When contacted, the restaurant indicated that it was aware of the situation and is working with its supplier to resolve the problem. The supplier is facing a shortage in manpower in terms of drivers and deliverymen. With the shortage, the current driver, based on the planned delivery route, arrives earlier than the restaurant’s receiving timing. The restaurant pleads for understanding from the public and assures that it prioritises food hygiene. All raw materials sent to the restaurant are also thoroughly washed before being cooked.

November 20, 2014