Singapore Green Plan 2012: Six green targets met

Esther Ng Today Online 1 Mar 11;

SINGAPORE - With less than a year to go, the targets in six key areas set out in the Singapore Green Plan 2012 have been reached, with the recycling rate here an exception.

The 58-per-cent figure last year comes close, though, to the goal of 60 per cent.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim disclosed yesterday the current state of green after Member of Parliament Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) had requested for an update on the plan launched in 2002.

In the area of water consumption, the daily domestic consumption per person was 154 litres, just surpassing the target next year of 155 litres per day.

Also, 30 per cent of Singapore's water is from non-conventional sources such as NEWater, exceeding the target of 25 per cent.

As for public health, the average annual incidence of dengue was about 5,800 cases between 2006 and last year, compared to some 14,000 cases reported in the 2005 epidemic.

Dr Yaacob added that air quality has remained in the "good" range of the Pollutant Standards Index for at least 85 per cent of the time since 2003, which also meets next year's target. ESTHER NG