The National Environment Agency (NEA) will conduct a four-month trial for the deployment of surveillance cameras with thermal detection capabilities in order to tackle rat issues in Singapore.

In addition, NEA and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will step up enforcement of waste management at food premises and bin centres.

Enhancing vector control is one of the key focuses in 2024, which Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) Grace Fu previously designated as the Year of Public Hygiene during the Committee of Supply debates in March 2024.

Deployment of surveillance cameras

Cameras with thermal detection capabilities will help to improve rat surveillance at outdoor back-lane areas, and more accurately estimate the level of rat infestation, NEA said.

As rats are nocturnal creatures, the thermal sensors will be able to monitor dark areas at night discretely without disturbing the rats, and can capture clear thermal images of them.

Four to eight cameras will be deployed over a two-week period at two identified locations, which are known rat hotspots.

NEA will then analyse the data and reach out to stakeholders for targeted engagement.

The camera data will also help premises operators and stakeholders to better coordinate cleaning, waste management and rat control measures.

Enforcement action may be taken depending on the observations and follow-up inspections carried out by NEA.

Enforcement of waste management

Poor waste management can contribute to the harbourage of rats by providing them with hiding spots and easy access to food.

In 2022 and 2023, an average of 4,163 and 5,203 rat burrows were detected in public areas per two-monthly cycle.

To tackle rat issues at the source by cutting off their access to food sources, NEA and SFA will step up their enforcement of waste management at food premises and bin centres.

NEA and SFA have been conducting checks to ensure licensees adopt proper waste disposal measures, such as properly bagging food waste and not leaving it overnight.

Targeted operations will also be conducted on poor-performing food establishments.

NEA and SFA will also advocate for premises managers to maintain their premises in good condition to deter rat habitation and prevent entry points for rats.

Other measures

Other ways of enhancing vector control will see NEA and Enterprise Singapore working with the Singapore Pest Management Association (SPMA) to develop a new Singapore Standard on performance measurement for pest management services.

This will encourage pest management companies to focus on and invest in upstream prevention and mitigation.

To combat dengue, NEA has expanded Project Wolbachia to five additional sites: Bukit Merah- Telok Blangah, Clementi-West Coast, Commonwealth, Holland and Marine Parade-Mountbatten.

This increases the project's coverage from 350,000 households in 2023 to 480,000 by the first quarter of 2024, an increase from 26 per cent of households in Singapore to 35 per cent.

Top photo via NEA and Canva