NEA improves high-rise littering detection with cameras

SINGAPORE – A pilot rolled out by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in October 2025, which involved roping in all 19 town councils to deploy high-rise littering cameras, has yielded a 30 per cent catch rate.

This compares with the 21 per cent catch rate recorded by surveillance cameras for such acts deployed by NEA in 2025, the agency told The Straits Times on March 25. Catch rate refers to the rate of successful detection of high-rise littering acts.

Under the six-month pilot, each town council was provided with two surveillance camera deployments a month to enable “faster and more targeted intervention” on high-rise littering cases, NEA said. The town council’s ground staff identified the high-rise littering hot spots.

A total of 39 cameras were deployed as at December 2025 under this initiative.

NEA did not reveal the areas where high-rise litterbugs were caught by these cameras.

In all, NEA took action against 350 cases of high-rise littering in 2025, the agency said. It was providing an update on littering statistics for 2025.

Such actions pose a danger to the public, dirty the environment and threaten public hygiene.

The number of high-rise littering complaints has remained stable since 2023, averaging about 28,600 annually, said NEA.

The agency added that it is continually developing new approaches to improve its surveillance efforts and enforcement effectiveness.

For instance, to improve the detection of perpetrators, NEA said it has, from August 2025, extended the camera surveillance duration for high-rise littering from 14 days to up to 28 days.

NEA also said in the March 25 update that about 1,300 enforcement actions were taken against premise owners for rat-related lapses in 2025, up from over 1,000 in 2024.

Of these actions jointly undertaken by NEA and the Singapore Food Agency, 620 were for poor refuse management.

In 2025, NEA took 13,200 enforcement actions against ground littering offences across Singapore.

It also conducted about 300 enforcement blitzes – more than twice the number of blitzes conducted in 2024 – at litter-prone hot spots in 2025. NEA did not reveal the locations of these hot spots.

Under the Environmental Public Health Act, those found guilty of littering face fines of up to $2,000 for their first conviction, $4,000 for their second one, and $10,000 for third and subsequent convictions.

They could also be made to undergo a corrective work order, which involves cleaning public areas for up to 12 hours. NEA said it issued over 700 such orders in 2025.

Such measures, including enforcement blitzes and corrective work orders, have led to a 40 per cent reduction in litter count at hot spots across a six-month period, said NEA.

While more enforcement actions were taken against premise owners for rat-related lapses, the number of rat burrows recorded fell.

The average number of rat burrows recorded during each surveillance cycle in the second half of 2025 was about 4,200, down from 5,400 in the first half of the year, said NEA.

The majority of burrows were detected in public housing estates, followed by grass verges along roadsides and in industrial estates, the agency added.

Since September 2025, NEA has stepped up rat control efforts in locations such as Little India, which was identified as an area with high trade activities and inadequate refuse management practices.

These efforts included engaging stakeholders on good housekeeping and proper refuse management, and conducting regular night inspections.

Combined with stakeholders’ efforts in the area, NEA’s latest thermal and passive infrared camera deployments showed up to 70 per cent reduction in rat activities at various sites in Little India, the agency added.

“Sustained efforts from all stakeholders remain crucial, as rat populations can quickly rebound if good housekeeping practices are not maintained consistently,” said NEA. “Everyone plays a part to keep Singapore clean.”