He lives in a corner apartment in a Housing Authority building in Pasir Ris, but for HQ, even getting to the elevator hall is like walking through an overgrown garden. The 25-year-old, who did not want to be named, lives next door to what neighbours call “Jungle House”.
Block 101 Pasir Ris Street 6
In the common space in front of the eighth-floor unit at Block 101, Pasir Ris Street 6, leafy plants are densely arranged from pot to pot.
The Straits Times spotted around 40 tall potted plants lined up on the footpath on Monday (27 May 2019), and a woman in her late 40s, who did not want to be identified, was seen watering the plants and trimming their leaves.
Fire hazard
Neighbours say the large amount of vegetation is a nuisance and a fire hazard. “It's been like this for the last eight or nine years,” said one neighbour who lives in the maisonette below the apartment, speaking on condition of anonymity.
He said he sometimes has to trim a vine that grows from the balcony of his eighth-floor apartment to his window, and that the plant attracts red ants, which then enter the house.
The number of plants decreased
“I and other neighbours have approached (the eighth-floor resident) directly in the past, and the city council has contacted her, but nothing much has changed,” said a neighbour in his mid-60s, “although the number of plants has decreased recently.”
Dense vegetation lines the corridor of an HDB flat unit at 101 Pasir Ris St 6. ST Photo by Shintaro Tay
Homeowners want changes
The owner told ST that he had never been approached by neighbours and that if he had been approached he would have responded and made changes.
Mr Lee, who lives on the eighth floor and asked not to be named, said cleaners sometimes help him remove the plants. Mr Lee, 67, added that his landlord has been diligently tending to them every morning for years, and that only the apartments near the corners are affected.
Avoid killing plants due to Buddhist beliefs
HQ and his family have few complaints about the plants growing by the front door of their house. “The owner keeps them out of our area,” he said, adding that the owner is an avid gardener and is reluctant to destroy them due to his Buddhist beliefs.
But he acknowledges they pose safety hazards and are difficult to navigate when carrying large loads.
A dense display of plants along the corridor of 101 Pasir Ris St. 6. ST Photo: Shintaro Tay
Pasir Ris Punggol Town Council
A Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council spokesman told The Straits Times that they have repeatedly advised town owners not to place too many potted plants in common areas, but owners often remove the plants only to put them back later.
A spokesman added that the council understands residents' desire to create a garden city of high-rise buildings but “wants to re-emphasize the importance of residents maintaining unobstructed pathways. This creates a safe living environment for everyone,” he said.
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This article first appeared in The Straits Times in 2019.