By BENSON ANG

CALL him the Plastic Man, if you will.

This Choa Chu Kang resident has literally wrapped his HDB flat in plastic.

From his front-door grille to his living room window facing the common corridor, the man, who is in his 70s, has taped plastic sheets from top to bottom, and side to side, holding them in place with adhesive tape.

There is little ventilation coming from the corridor. At the door grille, there is only one small hole in the plastic sheet, presumably for a key to be inserted.

The New Paper chanced upon the unusual sight in Block 211, along Choa Chu Kang Central, earlier this month.

Peering through the plastic sheets, we spotted someone watching television in an ordinary- looking living room.

The man inside, who declined to give his name, said that his door grille and windows have been this way for over a year.

He said that he was bothered by the dust from the lift upgrading works, which were just a few metres from his front door.

He added: 'It (the plastic) is because of the lift upgrading outside.

If you don't cover it (the grille) up, all the dust will come in, and we'll be in trouble.

'We just don't want to make it dusty inside. There's no way else around it.'

Will remove sheets

The man said he intends to remove the plastic sheets once the lift upgrading is completed. He declined further comment.

None of his immediate neighbours are making any unusual arrangements to prevent dust from entering their flats.

A HDB spokesman confirmed that HDB was carrying out lift upgrading works at the block.

The works started in June this year, and is expected to be completed by the second quarter of next year.

The spokesman said that some dust is inevitable when upgrading works are ongoing, like all other construction or renovation works, and that HDB has put in place measures to minimise the inconvenience to residents.

For instance, upgrading contractors are required to put up hoardings and nettings around the lift lobby, where upgrading works are being carried out.

The contractor carries out daily housekeeping at the work areas.

Residents at this precinct can also provide feedback to the Lift Upgrading Information Centre hotline at 1800-778 1751.

The spokesman said: 'So far, HDB has not received much feedback on dust issues.

'Some residents may choose to put up additional measures within their flats. The case mentioned is one such example.

'During our visit, we noted that its (the flat's) front windows were partially covered with plastic sheets, while the other windows, such as the kitchen windows, were open for ventilation.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.