PUBLISHED ONJuly 16, 2026 7:12 AMUPDATEDJuly 20, 2026 2:50 AMBYEsther Lam"Disgusting" was how some Bedok residents described the sight of blood-stained sanitary pads and used tissues strewn around the foot of their HDB block.
Residents told Lianhe Zaobao that this issue has persisted for months, adding that the soiled materials are believed to have been thrown from a flat at Block 636 Bedok Reservoir Road.
Acting on a tip-off, a Lianhe Zaobao reporter visited the HDB estate on Monday (July 13) evening and found a discarded sanitary napkin in one of the drains, and several used tissues scattered nearby.
Litter was also seen on the service ledges of several floors.
Resident Chen Xianzhang, 67, said he has repeatedly come across blood-stained sanitary pads and used tissues downstairs in recent months.
"If it were a tissue, it could have accidentally been blown away by the wind. But sanitary napkins are personal items, so it's obvious that they were thrown there deliberately," added Chen.
He condemned the behaviour as "disgusting" and said it was damaging the estate's environment.
Another resident, 70-year-old Zhang, recalled seeing tissues drifting down from above and speculated they were tossed around by children at play.
A third resident, Chen, 75, shared she had occasionally spotted leftover food and bread crumbs on the ground floor, leading her to suspect that someone had been feeding pigeons.
Most of the residents interviewed said they did not report the incident to the town council, as they were uncertain of the culprit's identity.
Some residents reportedly mentioned that the area is cleaned daily and that the litter is typically cleared by the following morning.
In response to AsiaOne's enquiries, the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council said they are investigating the frequent high-rise littering incidents.
The town council added that it has not yet identified the specific unit responsible.
However, the town council has issued advisory notices along the units where the incidents are believed to have originated, the town council said.
The notices are to remind residents to dispose of their household and sanitary waste responsibly and to be considerate of the living environment shared by the community.
The National Environment Agency, in response to AsiaOne's queries, said that it is aware of the high-rise littering case and is investigating the matter.
The agency said that it is working closely with the town council to monitor the situation and identify the unit responsible. It added that it will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any identified offenders.
"Littering from residential flats is a serious offence, as it poses a danger to the public, dirties the environment, and threatens public hygiene," said NEA.
Offenders may be fined up to $2,000 for a first conviction, $4,000 for a second conviction and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions, the agency said. Offenders may also be issued a corrective work order requiring them to clean public areas for up to 12 hours.
NEA also encouraged members of the public who witness high-rise littering to report it to NEA via the OneService app, providing details such as the date, time, location, and where possible, photographs or videos to facilitate investigations.
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