'Unbelievable amount of litter': Punggol playground left strewn with rubbish following Deepavali celebrations

A playground in Punggol was left in disarray following the Deepavali long weekend, with litter scattered across the area — much to the dismay of residents.

In a Reddit post uploaded on Monday (Oct 20), a resident in the area shared a photo showing the aftermath of the celebrations.

"This morning, there was an unbelievable amount of litter left all around this beautiful park in Punggol," the resident wrote.

"The crowd was here since 7pm, and I could hear celebrations all the way until midnight."

The playground is reportedly located next to Block 270, Punggol Field.

When reporters from Shin Min Daily News visited the site on Tuesday (Oct 21), large amounts of coloured paper, plastic bags and litter were found scattered around. 

There also appeared to be burn marks on the ground, with discarded sparklers left on the grass.

A resident who declined to be named told the Chinese evening daily that he would take his grandson to the playground every morning, but decided to return home after seeing the litter in the area.

Another resident, who wished to be known only as Hanili (transliteration), 45, told Shin Min that she didn't take her children to the playground in the morning because of the mess left behind.

"It wasn't this dirty last year, but it's even worse this year," said Hanili, who has been living in the neighbourhood for 17 years. 

Cleaning remains unfinished despite three hours of work 

Speaking to Shin Min, one cleaner stated that notices had been displayed around the playground a week earlier, reminding the public to dispose of their garbage and not litter during the holiday celebrations.

"I've worked here for several years, and every year it's the same situation. It takes four of us three hours to clean the playground," the cleaner said.

Despite this, reporters observed that while most of the playground had been cleared, some rubbish was still left on the grass.

Similarly, a public space near Block 116, Hougang Avenue 1, also saw a large amount of rubbish left behind following the long weekend celebrations, reported Shin Min.

While some residents interviewed felt the action was inconsiderate, one resident, who wished to be known only as Huang, expressed understanding towards those celebrating the once-a-year event.

"Everyone has their own festivals, so I can understand. There were people who came to clean up in the morning, so it's still acceptable," said the 72-year-old. 

"After all, everyone wants to celebrate." 

AsiaOne has reached out to Punggol Town Council for comment. 

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