NEA steps up rat control measures, 210 cases in 1st half of 2025 linked to poor refuse management

Around 480 enforcement actions were jointly taken by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) against premise owners for rat-related lapses in the first half of 2025.

210 such lapses related to poor refuse management.

This is an increase from the 380 enforcement actions taken in the first half of 2024.

The first half of 2025 also found an average of about 5,400 rat burrows per cycle, an increase from the 2,800 rat burrows per cycle observed in 2024.

Most burrows were found in public housing estates, followed by grass verges along roadsides and in industrial estates.

NEA tightened enforcement for rat-related lapses since Apr. 1

NEA has tightened enforcement against premises managers and owners for rat-related lapses since Apr. 1, 2025.

Particularly, in three key areas: poor refuse management, defects in refuse handling facilities, and the presence of rat nests.

Saying that relying on enforcement alone would be insufficient to mitigate rat infestations in the long term, the NEA stated that sustainable and effective rat population control requires the adoption of upstream measures, such as proper refuse management and good housekeeping.

Ang Mo Kio Central was identified as one such area with inadequate refuse management practices in May 2025.

Through NEA's collaboration with town councils, grassroots advisers, and trade premises, the agency said refuse management lapses in the area decreased by 60 per cent within four months.

The agency will continue to enhance its surveillance efforts and focus on engaging stakeholders to strengthen upstream rat control measures.

Enhanced enforcement against littering

NEA has also issued around 800 enforcement tickets in cleanliness hotspots, of which about 240 were for littering offences, in the first half of 2025.

Measures have proven effective, with the litter count decreasing by 25 per cent over nine months, NEA stated.

NEA has also enhanced its enforcement capabilities through visible patrols, standees, and surveillance cameras.

The agency said that it currently monitors 12 cleanliness hotspots, identified based on localised litter count, number of feedback received, and ground sensing over a sustained period of time.

"NEA will pivot resources to other locations when we observe a reduction in the number of enforcement actions and litter count," it added.

Hotspots that have exited the cleanliness hotspot list include Causeway Point, Chinatown Complex, Jurong Point, and Vista Point.

The agency said the number of high-rise littering feedback has remained relatively stable since 2022, averaging about 28,000 cases annually.

NEA will continue to adopt various measures to educate the public, detect instances of high-rise littering, and enforce against offenders.

Since August 2025, NEA has also extended its surveillance camera duration from 14 days to up to 28 days, to improve the chances of capturing high-rise littering incidents.

Top image via Canva