SINGAPORE - Punggol residents have expressed concern after numerous rat sightings near Block 106A in Punggol Field.
Residents said that the sightings had become more common recently and at least one was worried it may become as bad as the Bukit Batok rat infestation, which was reported last month.
When contacted, Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council said pest control measures are being taken.
At Punggol Field, there were at least 15 burrows, and two dead rats were seen near one of the holes, Shin Min Daily News reported on Friday.
Ms Ou, 40, a housewife, said she seldom saw rats when she moved there three years ago, but the number had gone up recently.
"There are more and more rats, and some look very robust. Sometimes I see three or four at the same time," she told Shin Min.
Another resident, Jessie Neo, said that she saw the rats next to the rubbish chute at Block 106A on her way to work.
She took a photo on Wednesday morning of a large rodent crawling out of a hole near the drain there and sent it to Stomp.
"I could smell the stench, and I fear there may be dead rats there," the public servant, 44, told The Straits Times.
She added that there was a coffee shop and supermarket near where the rats were found.
"Hopefully the authorities can deal with this as soon as possible," she said. "They should be more vigilant after what happened at Bukit Batok."
Ms Juliana Lim, senior property manager of Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council, said pest control operations began last week.
"Our officer had earlier sighted the burrows and worked with our pest control contractor to carry out treatment last week," she said in an email reply to the Straits Times, adding that there will be another treatment over the weekend.
"We urge our residents and visitors to cooperate and ensure proper disposal of food waste," she said.
The Bukit Batok rat infestation came to light after Bukit Batok resident Ryan Keith Smith, 33, took videos and pictures of the rodents and posted them online.
Pest controllers declared the area beside Bukit Batok MRT station rat free on Jan 8 after a three-week extermination operation.
