'Cockroaches crawl onto clothes': Elderly couple frustrated by loose refuse chute hopper in Tampines flat“蟑螂爬到衣服上”：淡滨尼公寓一对老年夫妇因垃圾槽料斗松动而感到沮丧
An elderly couple living in a Tampines four-room unit has been grappling with a cockroach problem after their chute hopper became loose in April, reported Shin Min Daily News on Sunday (Sept 20).Retiree Zhong Qiangxing (transliteration), 69, bemoaned how roaches and lizards began appearing in their flat on the eighth floor."We've lived here for 30 years, and the hopper never...
An elderly couple living in a Tampines four-room unit has been grappling with a cockroach problem after their chute hopper became loose in April, reported Shin Min Daily News on Sunday (Sept 20).
Retiree Zhong Qiangxing (transliteration), 69, bemoaned how roaches and lizards began appearing in their flat on the eighth floor.
"We've lived here for 30 years, and the hopper never had any problems," Shin Min quoted him as saying.
His wife said they are willing to pay a handyman to replace the faulty chute, but the contractor they found still has not started work.
"They said removing the chute might cause the wall tiles to fall, and they could not determine if any other work would be needed, so construction has been delayed," she claimed.
Meanwhile, the couple have been tolerating the foul smell of waste as well as pests.
On one occasion, a cockroach even crawled onto their son, according to the report.
"Sometimes when I am hanging out clothes to dry in the kitchen, cockroaches will crawl onto them," the wife said.
"My husband and I aren't in the best of health, and we worry the cockroaches will cause more hygiene problems and affect our health."
According to an interior designer interviewed by Shin Min, wall tiles which crack or fall off during chute replacements can be repaired with cement.
It may cost more to replace the tile entirely.
Under the Home Improvement Programme for older flats, homeowners may opt for a new refuse chute hopper to be installed.
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
据《新明日报》周日（9月20日）报道，一对居住在淡滨尼四房式组屋的老夫妇，自4月份垃圾投放口松动后，就一直饱受蟑螂问题的困扰。
69岁的退休人士钟强兴（音译）抱怨说，蟑螂和蜥蜴开始出现在他们位于八楼的公寓里。
据《新明日报》报道，他说：“我们在这里住了30年，这个漏斗从来没有出过任何问题。”
他的妻子说他们愿意花钱请个杂工来更换坏掉的滑槽，但他们找到的承包商至今还没有开工。
她声称：“他们说拆除滑槽可能会导致墙砖脱落，而且他们无法确定是否还需要进行其他工作，因此施工被延误了。”
与此同时，这对夫妇不得不忍受垃圾的恶臭和害虫的侵扰。
报道称，有一次，一只蟑螂甚至爬到了他们的儿子身上。
“有时候我在厨房晾衣服的时候，蟑螂会爬到衣服上，”妻子说。
“我和我丈夫的身体状况都不太好，我们担心蟑螂会造成更多卫生问题，影响我们的健康。”
据《新明日报》采访的一位室内设计师称，在更换滑槽时，如果墙砖开裂或脱落，可以用水泥进行修补。
全部更换瓷砖可能花费更高。
根据针对老旧公寓的房屋改善计划，业主可以选择安装新的垃圾滑槽料斗。
lim.kewei@asiaone.com