Large-scale clean-up operation after NDP

Khoo Fang Xuan Channel NewsAsia 10 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE: Hours after the National Day Parade ended on Saturday (Aug 9), the clean-up began at the Marina Bay floating platform and the F1 Pit Building. The organisers said they used more equipment and machinery this year compared to previous years and picked up about 13 tonnes of waste.

The audience was encouraged to dispose of their litter with trash bags included in this year's Funpacks. But there was still plenty of rubbish to clear.

Organisers said the clean-up began at about 10pm. It involved about 50 workers who used blowers to gather small pieces of trash, as well as heavy machinery.

The clean-up was completed by 4:30am, well before the National Environment Agency's cut-off time of 6am.

Seah Yong Huat, amenities, works and services manager at NDP Committee, said: "Between the seats, the spaces are narrow, and there's a small gap. People tend to put the litter in between the seats. So with the blower, we can blow out all the small litter, and with the vacuum cleaners, we can suck out the small litter. This will help the cleaners and the entire cleaning process."

- CNA/xq

49 years old, still badly behaved
The New Paper AsiaOne 13 Aug 14;

Ugly: Rubbish left behind at the National Day Parade.

SINGAPORE - After the spectacular show of the National Day Parade came the stupendous clean-up.

After the VIP guests, the cheering crowds and the troupes of performers left the Marina Bay area on Saturday night, a legion of cleaners moved in.

And after all the flag-waving, some of those flags had to be swept into trash bags.

It was a rather sad picture on the first day of Singapore's 50th year as an independent nation.

Even sadder was an act of mischief in Ang Mo Kio.

National flags that had been put up for Singapore's 49th birthday were found damaged yesterday morning.

Town council workers were seen putting up new flags in the HDB estate in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3.

The flag poles had been broken, but there was no damage to the flags themselves, Channel NewsAsia quoted them as saying.

Police said they had classified the case as an act of mischief and were investigating.
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