Someone has been urinating regularly inside the lift of an HDB block in Havelock Road, with residents saying the stench is “unbearable”.
The culprit, or culprits, have been doing the dirty deed at Block 22 Havelock Road for a few months now, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Google Maps
A 70-year-old retiree named Mr Zeng (transliterated from Mandarin) told Shin Min that somebody has been urinating at Lift C of the 16-storey block over the last two to three months.
They would relieve themselves more than once a day, even up to three times a day, he said.
As the lift is small, the stench can be “unbearable”, he added.
Sometimes, he would take another lift farther away from his unit just to avoid the smell.
Another 70-year-old retiree, Madam Jiang (transliterated from Mandarin), said almost all the residents know that there are urine stains in the lift.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
She has seen such stains twice in one day, while other residents have encountered them early in the morning.
As the lift can accommodate only about four to six people, those unlucky enough to take a stained lift have almost “nowhere to hide” and have no choice but to wash their shoes when they get home.
This behaviour is not only unhygienic but displays a lack of public-spiritedness, she added.
Other residents have fingered the culprit as an elderly male resident of the block.
A male resident who declined to be named told the paper that when the man came out of the lift, he left behind a pool of yellow liquid that smelled like urine.
As there are CCTV cameras in the lift, he hoped the authorities would take action after confirming his identity.
The elderly man’s neighbour on the same floor said he would relieve himself in the corridor sometimes, and believes that he is ill.
The suspected culprit did not answer the door when reporters approached his unit.
Mdm Jiang said her son has complained about the situation to the Jalan Besar Town Council (JBTC) many times.
JBTC said in response to Shin Min’s queries that it was aware of the incident and had retrieved the lift’s CCTV footage of the acts and sent it to the National Environment Agency (NEA).
It is believed that NEA has counselled the culprit; if they keep up their behaviour, further action will be taken.
JBTC also assured residents that it was paying close attention to the matter and would work closely with the relevant agencies to resolve it as soon as possible.
A sign has also been posted in the lift, reminding residents not to urinate there or in common areas.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
JBTC has also increased the frequency of lift cleanings, it said.
Mdm Jiang confirmed that since her son complained, cleaners have been deployed more often.
Now, the lift is cleaned every morning, noon, and night, she said.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Google Maps.