Hougang residents plagued by smell of rat carcasses from drain

Over the past three weeks, residents staying at Blocks 251 to 254 Hougang Ave 3 have been complaining about a foul stench caused by dead rats in the estate. 

A resident who stays on the ground floor of Block 254 told Mothership that he saw rats scurrying into his home on Dec 5. He also spotted some rat dead rats on the road and in the drain near the block. 

According to him, the carcasses looked like they'd been run over by cars or eaten by cats, as they were covered in blood with their organs exposed.

Because the carcasses were left in the estate for several days, they emitted a stench which affected him and his family.

In view of the incident, the Aljunied-Hougang town council (AHTC) told Shin Min Daily News that excavation works conducted by PUB likely caused the migration of rats. 

The town council added that the dead rats were the result of burrow treatments. It has since increased the frequency of inspections to monitor the rodent situation. 

AHTC's pest control operator has also been carrying out site inspections and treatment. 

Situation has since improved

When a reporter from Shin Min visited the estate on Dec 19, a male resident who lives on the fourth floor of Block 254 said the situation had recently improved. 

"I haven't seen any (rats) in the last two weeks," said the resident, who declined to be named. 

Lin, who lives at Block 251, said the rats might be in the area because of the nearby coffee shop and large drains in the estate. However, the 63-year-old retiree said the rodents haven't caused any problems for her. 

A third resident who stays at Block 252 shared that the stray cats in the estate might have helped control the rat population. 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com