Drop it where it belongs.

The Ministry of Environment is gearing up its campaign on television with an advertisement accompanied by a song. The song ends with a melodious jingle called “drop it where it belongs” with the letters shrinking and going inside the dustbin. Environment is the surroundings such as the roads, lanes, grounds, private or government housing estates. Singapore is the world’s cleanest city and it is important that every citizen tries to maintain the record. We should make sure that all places are kept clean and tidy.

Littering on roads, lanes, playgrounds or anywhere would make the places dirty. The drains should remain clean without being clogged up with waste materials or stagnant water as these are the ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other flies. Though the Ministry of Environment and the Community Centers arrange to maintain the housing blocks clean and tidy, it is the duty of every citizen to see that these places are not polluted by the rubbish thrown indiscriminately. That is why dustbins are provided in every nook and corner for us to throw or drop it where it belongs.

The clean environment should start from our houses itself. The leftover foodstuffs, other wastes and rubbish should be put in a plastic bag, tied and disposed through chutes. We can see the Ministry of Environment garbage trucks collecting these wastes daily. Since we have been provided with so many facilities, we should try our best to keep the city clean.

Our Government periodically launches “clean environment” campaigns to make every citizen aware of the value of a dust-free, pollution-free, clean, neat and tidy country. Strict measures, such as heavy fines for littering may achieve this purpose. But it is the citizens who are reminded of their responsibility to keep a pollution-free environment for a healthy and comfortable lifestyle in Singapore.