PULAU UBIN

Mr R. Ravindran asked the Minister for the Environment as to why the beaches of Pulau Ubin are polluted and what steps have been taken by his Ministry to keep the beaches there clean.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: There are two main beaches at Pulau Ubin that are popular with the public. Both are located at the northern end of Pulau Ubin and are subject to seasonal Northeast Monsoon from December to March every year. During the monsoon period, large amounts of flotsams are washed ashore onto the beaches. Visitors and picnickers are another source of beach litter.

My Ministry deploys workmen daily to clear the flotsams and other litter that are washed up onto the beaches during the monsoon season and school holidays when the beaches are more heavily utilised. But during the off-peak season, the beaches are cleansed less frequently - twice weekly, namely, before and after the weekend.

To help keep the island clean, my Ministry has initiated a litter bag programme with the Pulau Ubin Police Post to get campers to bag their refuse. When campers report* to the Police Post for overnight camping on the island, the police officer on duty will issue our litter bags to the campers for them to bag their refuse for proper disposal.

My Ministry will monitor the cleanliness of the beaches and step up our cleansing efforts, if necessary, to ensure that the beaches are clean.

[* Note: Campers are advised to report to the Police Post if they plan to stay overnight on the island for their own safety.]