SINGAPORE - The operator of a planned funeral parlour in Bukit Batok will have to put in place measures to minimise the impact of its activities on residents, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb 12).
These could include barriers to keep funeral activities discreet and eco-friendly burners to minimise smoke emissions.
"Rituals and funeral processions will be confined within the site as far as possible to minimise disturbance," he added.
Mr Masagos was replying to Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok), who had also asked how the site in Bukit Batok Street 23 was selected.
The funeral parlour is among four such facilities that will be opened in the next decade to meet growing demand as the population ages.
Mr Masagos said the site next to Bukit Batok Industrial Park A was chosen as there is a "dearth of facilities in the western region". The closest such facility is in Choa Chu Kang, he said, but it is difficult to reach for those without a car.
He also said the National Environment Agency will work with the funeral parlour operator and other agencies to reduce the impact of hearses when these are in the area. "This can include ensuring accessibility via different routes and avoiding roads within residential estates as far as possible," he added.
The other three funeral parlour sites to be opened in the next decade are in Ang Mo Kio, Woodlands and Mandai.
The new facilities coming up are to help meet anticipated demand for such facilities as Singapore's population ages. By 2040, the annual number of resident deaths is projected to double to around 40,000.
Mr Masagos said that as a general rule, sites for funeral parlours are selected after considering factors such as development plans for the area, the capacity of the road network to support anticipated traffic, and accessibility to public transport.
"As a small and densely populated city-state, there will always be competing demands for space to meet Singapore's various development needs," he said.
"Through careful planning and by taking mitigation measures, the Government will make the best effort to minimise potential disamenities arising from these developments."
