SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Thursday (Jul 2) it will be taking enforcement action as it continues to detect ‘egregious mosquito breeding’ during dengue inspections.
Four households, a construction site and town council or residents’ committee-managed common areas of HDB estates are among the places the agency listed in a media release.
As of Monday, there were more than 14,000 dengue cases reported this year, with the total number of cases for 2020 expected to exceed the 22,170 cases reported in 2013, the largest dengue outbreak in Singapore’s history.
There are 1,328 dengue clusters reported since the start of the year, of which 334 are still active, NEA added.
These include large clusters at Woodleigh Close, Aljunied Road, Bukit Panjang Ring Road and Geylang Road.
An NEA dengue inspection officer checks a lightning conductor pit for mosquito breeding. (Photo: National Environment Agency)
NEA said it will be taking action against the following cases:
- Residential premise located within a dengue cluster at Arnasalam Chetty Road/Kim Yam Road. NEA found mosquito breeding in a water feature, flower pot and container cover during an inspection in June. The breeding in the water feature had a few hundred mosquito larvae.
- Residence located within the periphery of a dengue cluster at Clover Avenue, which NEA was only able to access after repeated attempts. Three instances of profuse mosquito breeding were found in pails and a porcelain bowl, with one containing about 50 mosquito larvae.
- A Lian Beng construction site located within a dengue cluster at Potong Pasir Avenue 1. The site had been issued a stop-work order on Jun 24 due to repeated breeding cases, with some habitats containing 100 mosquito larvae or more. The mosquito breeding areas include a canvas sheet, a ground puddle, metal formworks, a steel toe board, a hollow metal pole and a concrete structure.
- Two residential premises located within a dengue cluster at Aljunied Road/Geylang Road, with mosquito breeding habitats found during repeat inspections. The habitats include a jacuzzi, a cooking pot and a canvas sheet. Three of the spots contained 50 mosquito larvae or more.
- In town council or residents’ committee-managed common areas of HDB estates where there is a high population of the Aedes mosquito. These habitats include an improperly stored unused incense burner, a perimeter drain, a discarded plastic container and another plastic container in a residents’ committee garden.
A pool of stagnant water is seen at a Lian Beng construction site during an NEA inspection. (Photo: National Environment Agency)
Some of the breeding habitats contained mosquito pupae, indicating that water has been stagnant for a while, NEA said.
In cases where urgent vector control measures are needed, NEA said it will issue a legal notice to the residents requiring them to open up their premises for inspection at a specified date and time.
Entry by force may be used if the premises remain inaccessible or are vacant, the agency added.
About 6,200 legal notices have been issued between January and May.
READ: Spike in dengue cases: Why Singapore may see worst outbreak in years
Profuse mosquito breeding is seen in a porcelain cup. (Photo: National Environment Agency)
“These egregious cases of mosquito breeding show that some owners of premises and occupiers are still not carrying out the necessary basic vector control checks, despite the extensive outreach on dengue prevention over the past few months and the current serious dengue situation,” the agency said.
Last month, NEA announced it will impose heavier offences for households with repeated mosquito breeding offences and multiple breeding habitats.
It will also tighten enforcement for construction sites and town councils.
A man oils of a drain along a common corridor to prevent mosquito breeding. (Photo: National Environment Agency)
NEA said on Thursday the majority of mosquito breeding detected are found in common areas of residential estates, premises and homes.
READ: Town councils step up prevention measures amid rising number of dengue cases
“All residents living in dengue cluster areas are strongly encouraged to cooperate with NEA officers, and facilitate their checks and indoor misting in their homes,” it said.
“As the Aedes mosquito’s lifecycle can be as short as seven days, it is important to Do the Mozzie Wipeout at least once a week.”
