Punggol resident urges town council to address pigeon infestation, cites years of inaction
A Punggol resident in Janil Puthucheary’s ward has called on the town council to act on a persistent pigeon infestation, citing years of inaction and growing concerns over public hygiene and potential health risks.
SINGAPORE: A Punggol resident has turned to TikTok, urging the town council to address a longstanding pigeon infestation in the area while raising concerns about public hygiene and potential health risks.
The area is under the ward of Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, who is also the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate for Punggol GRC in the upcoming 2025 General Election.
“Dear Pasir Ris-Punggol town council. can you start taking action?” the TikTok user asked in the video.
“We have been calling the town council to complain, but no action has been taken to date.”
The resident cited a notice dated 30 December 2024, in which the Pasir Ris–Punggol Town Council acknowledged receiving feedback from residents about pigeons roosting and defecating on air-conditioner ledges.
The council stated that this has raised health concerns, including the potential spread of influenza strains, and has made it difficult for residents to clean the soiled areas.
“To address this, the town council is exploring the installation of bird netting to cover the external air-conditioner ledges up to the roof level,” the notice read.
However, it also stated that the plan could only proceed with 75% consensus from flat owners and would require approval from the relevant authorities.
The council promised that survey results would be posted on the block's noticeboard within two weeks after the closing date.
But the resident claimed that no such results were ever displayed.
“The notice said the results will be posted within two weeks—but we didn’t see any,” the user said, adding that pigeons have even laid two eggs outside their unit.
“What’s the plan for Waterway Terraces?” they asked.
The user said they have been dealing with the issue for years, citing pigeons roosting around the flats and droppings clearly visible in common areas.
The persistent smell has made it difficult to open their windows, and many residents have raised concerns about the impact on their health and air-conditioning ventilation.
They also noted the difficulty of cleaning the soiled areas and expressed worry about the potential spread of influenza.
“Dear neighbours, are you facing the same issue too?”
The user ended their message by urging the authorities to “kindly take immediate action to address this serious and potentially hazardous health issue.”
Residents Share Complaints of Unaddressed Hazards and Slow Action
The TikTok post has sparked a wave of comments from other residents living in areas under Janil's purview, with many echoing similar concerns about estate maintenance and the pigeon problem.
One commenter noted that their area also falls under Janil, saying they had submitted feedback through a service app three times over the span of a year about a large hole in the footpath.
They described it as very dangerous, especially for senior citizens walking at night, and claimed that both HDB and the town council were "just playing tai chi" instead of taking action.
Another resident shared a similar experience, stating that they had reported the pigeon problem two years ago and had been following up regularly, but there were still no updates.
"We constantly have to check ourselves," they said.
Some users expressed disbelief at the lack of regular cleaning.
One commented, “OMG!!! Don’t they do weekly washing? My estate does.”
In response, the original poster replied that in their block, cleaning happens “maybe once a year.”
Residents Question MP’s Visibility and Town Council’s Performance
Several commenters questioned Janil’s visibility and effectiveness as an MP.
One user remarked, “Janil needs to go. Five years in Punggol and I’ve never seen him—only shows up during festive events.”
Others were critical of the town council’s performance, with one person calling it “the worst,” citing slow action.
Another noted that even though the town council office was located just downstairs from their block, it had made no difference in the quality of service.
“Disappointed, honestly. Maybe it’s really time for a change,” they said.
In a recent Facebook post, PAP candidate for Punggol GRC Gan Kim Yong pledged to address long-standing concerns about cleanliness and estate maintenance in Punggol Northshore if elected.
He committed to setting up a new Punggol Town Council, with Sun Xueling as its Chairperson, to deliver more effective municipal services for residents.
