“Although Singapore has done well in transforming its waterways, and becoming one of the few Asian cities with greenery throughout the country, more work needs to be done on the cleanliness front”, said Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the annual Clean and Green Carnival today.
Urging the citizens to make the country clean, he said, “Singaporeans have to take ownership in keeping the country clean.”
He added, “Today we are reliant on 50,000 cleaners … We also have our community initiatives, teams of volunteers who go around and help pick up the litter. But that isn’t going to solve the problem.”
Giving advice on cleanliness, the Deputy Prime Minister said, “It starts from young, building that culture. And it is all about public-spiritedness – being mindful of our neighbours, people who live beside us, and a little further from us, and owning Singapore together.”
The carnival is being held as part of the Clean and Green Singapore environmental campaign at an open field next to Boon Keng MRT station.
The Deputy Prime Minister also lauded efforts such as the Education Ministry's move to introduce daily cleaning by students in all schools. He also spoke about technological advances such as solar panels that help make sustainable living more affordable and attractive to businesses.
At the event, the Deputy Prime Minister also planted a cratoxylum cochinchinese – a tree native to Singapore that can grow up to 30m – along Boon Keng Road. He also presented eight awards to grassroots organisations for their efforts in areas such as public hygiene and energy efficiency.
Masagos Zulkifli, Environment and Water resources Minister of Singapore spoke about the rising number of natural disasters like hurricanes and floods, and how it has prompted accelerated concern about climate change.
The Minister informed that efforts are underway to get Singaporeans to use cars les frequently, aim at zero-waste lives and recycle more- efforts that would, over time, lead to “less deforestation, pollution and things that contribute to the greenhouse effect”.
During the programme, the Deputy Prime Minister also planted a cratoxylum cochinchinese – a tree native to Singapore that can grow up to 30m – along Boon Keng Road. He also presented eight awards to grassroots organisations for their efforts in areas such as public hygiene and energy efficiency.
The carnival, which will run till Sunday is very useful for citizens as it is offering tips how to save energy and aim for zero-waste lives in their homes, at work and in public spaces.