SINGAPORE: A flooded planter box apparently breeding mosquitoes has gotten some residents in Punggol worried. They believe that the stagnant water in the planter box between blocks 289C and 289D in Punggol Place is the reason they have been seeing more mosquitoes and bites on themselves and their children.
One resident, Lim Chin Tiong, 45, went looking for stagnant bodies of water on Wednesday (Apr 26) after his son woke up with a fever and body ache. He was afraid that his son, aged 13, was exhibiting signs of dengue. The doctor asked them to look out for rashes.
“I was wondering why there were so many mosquitoes recently. I’ve been getting bitten. Then I saw the water. It’s about four inches deep and it must have been there for some time,” the businessman said. He contacted the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Pasir-Ris Punggol Town Council immediately to inform them of the issue. He thought of adding oil to the water to kill the larvae, but was afraid of damaging the tree, he added.
A spokesman for the town council said the accumulation of water may be due to soil being compacted, as the planter boxes did not originally come with drainage holes. (Photo: Foo Siang Hwee)
In response to queries, a spokesman for the town council said that pouring oil would indeed kill the tree, and said it is “unadvisable”. He said residents should contact the town council immediately if they detect any possible breeding ground. He added that the accumulation of water may be due to soil being compacted, as the planter boxes did not originally come with drainage holes.
“We drilled drainage holes to some planter boxes upon receiving similar feedback earlier. The recent heavy rain suggests that the solution works, so we have instructed the contractor to expedite the work to provide drainage holes for all planter boxes.” he said. The town council said that the planter box in question was drained by 5pm on Wednesday.
Still, residents were particularly concerned that the stagnant water was just outside My First Skool, a preschool. Childcare teacher Rochelle Quion, 30, said that she has spotted more children with mosquito bites and that parents are concerned.“They wear patches and spray repellent, but they still get bitten. Some of the children now wear long pants to school, but they still get bitten on their hands,” she said. The school’s principal has also contacted authorities about the problem, she said.
The location of the flooded planter box. (Image: Foo Siang Hwee)
Another resident, self-employed Foo Siang Hwee, 41, shared the same concerns. He first noticed the flooded planter box on Tuesday, after a parent in the estate’s Facebook group said her son got bitten and contacted NEA. Mr Foo usually takes his 1.5-year-old son on walks in the area. When Channel NewsAsia visited the site on Wednesday, there were several visible mosquito larvae wiggling in the water.
Stagnant water seen in the planter box between blocks 289C and 289D at Punggol Place. (Photo: Foo Siang Hwee)
Civil servant Nurliza Khalid, 34, has reported the issue about five times since 2015. “When they come, they drain the water, but when it rains, the problem comes back,” she said. She now makes sure that her six-year-old son does not go downstairs as much as he used to. “We are more aware of diseases like dengue and Zika now, so we have to take these precautions,” she said. The area is not listed as a dengue or Zika hotspot.
NEA said it is aware of the feedback regarding mosquito breeding at the area between blocks 289C and 289D. “NEA is working with the town council to address the problem of water stagnating in the planters in the estate’s common areas,” a spokesperson said.
