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Singapore River
The Singapore River has been associated with the traditional trading and business activities of Singapore for more than a hundred years. It is one of the most valuable assets of the country as it runs through the heart of the central area of the island. However, in the 1970s, the river was badly polluted with sewage, domestic refuse, industrial waste as well as animal and farm waste. The problem became worse as the country became more and more densely populated.
Kallang Basin
The five rivers of the Kallang Basin, namely, the Rochor River, Kallang River,Geylang River, Whampoa River and Pelton Canal also suffered the same fate. Wastes discharged by pig and duck farms, squatters, backyard industries, street hawkers and riverine activities such as boat repairs polluted the rivers.
The Challenge
On February 27, 1977, at the opening
of the Upper Peirce Reservoir, the then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew
said in his speech: "It should be a way of life to keep the water clean.
To keep every stream, culvert and rivulet, free from pollution. The Ministry
of the Environment should make it a target: in ten years let us have fishing
in the Singapore River and Kallang River. It can be done."
The Clean-up
By October 1977, plans were put up and action was taken to clean up the
Singapore River and Kallang Basin. The main objective of the effort was
to cleanse the rivers connecting to the Kallang Basin and the Singapore
River so that aquatic life could return to the rivers. There was massive
housing development, resiting of street hawkers to food centres, phasing
out of pollutive activities and resettlement of squatters, industrial workshops,
backyard trades, industries and farmers,
After the removal of pollutive activities, physical improvements were made
to the riverbanks of the Singapore River and the Kallang Basin. Riverside
walkways along the Singapore River were tiled, turfed and filled with bushes
of bright red miniature Ixora. Boat Quay and Clarke Quay are now one of
the latest recreational developments along the banks of the Singapore River.
Facilities such as river walls, piers, shelters and benches were provided,
turning the entire Kallang Basin into a riverside park.
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| Fish in the Singapore River (1987) | Picnicking and Fishing |
In September 1987, the ENV together
with other government ministries and statutory boards celebrated the success
of the clean up with an event called the Clean Rivers Commemoration.
Long Term Management and Control
With the major pollutive sources removed, the task ahead is to manage and
control pollution. After the clean up, pollutive sources such as littering
and sullage water discharge still remain. This is because of the high degree
of urbanisation. Litter thrown onto the streets, drains and canals will
be washed into the rivers after a rain. Litter thrown along the coasts
and beaches will be washed into the rivers by tidal action. Such flotsam
in the water pollutes and mars the appearance of the rivers.
To keep the rivers clean, a committee
comprising various government ministries and statutory boards was set up
to plan, coordinate and implement programmes to prevent pollution to the
rivers. One main programme is the adoption of engineering measures to minimise
pollution of the rivers. These measures include:
? Prevention of litter entry by
covering of drains in litter-prone areas with slabs.
? Installation of vertical gratings
at selected outlet drains leading to main canals and rivers.
? Installation of floatbooms across
rivers and canals.
These engineering measures together
with the on-going Clean Rivers Education Programme to educate our students
on the importance of keeping our rivers clean serves to protect our cleaned
rivers from returning to its previous polluted conditions.
SINGAPORE RIVER
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| Past | Present |
