Straits Times Forum 16 Nov 07;
Letter from Dr Geh Min, President Nature Society (Singapore)
THE Building and Construction Authority's granite stockpile located in Lim Chu Kang is well under way. Covering about 80ha of undulating scrubland, it has reduced a large chunk of earmarked farmland to sterility. It has also reduced considerably the habitat for open-country wildlife.
The area had been promoted recently by the Kranji Countryside Association and the Singapore Tourism Board as an agri-tainment hub. Rules had been relaxed by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority to allow for restaurants, farm-stays, workshops, etc.
Thus the presence of the massive pile of grey concrete is certainly in conflict with this initiative.
The boundary of the stockpile even reaches the very verge of charming Neo Tiew Road, the main transport artery in the area for visitors. This is indeed deplorable. A towering opaque fence detracts greatly from the pleasant and natural greenery.
Apart from the heat effect, granite dust blown by the wind causes air pollution. Vegetation nearby is coated with dust and orchids are dying in an adjacent farm. It is most unfortunate that no substantial buffer was provided between the stockpile and the contiguous roads and farms.
Something could and should be done to alleviate this ugly situation. The stockpile is a national reserve - to be used only in times of critical shortage. We propose that a layer of earth be dumped onto the surface of the pile to cover the rocks. The hollowing out of the ground now being undertaken should provide sufficient earth for such a purpose.
The whole pile should be landscaped into an undulating terrain and lawn grass grown over it as an interim measure to prevent erosion. After this, wild grass and shrubs should be allowed to colonise it to give a natural look to the stockpile.
Trees will find it difficult to colonise, but they can be planted along the boundary to provide a natural screen.
When the area becomes fully green, the opaque fence should be dismantled. The area could then be used for recreational activities that are in harmony with the tranquillity of the countryside.
The result will not recover the original landscape and habitat with all its charms and wildlife, but at least it will not be an eyesore and, hopefully, it is something that the farmers can live with.
Related articles
Farmers at Kranji and granite stockpile there
various media articles, on the wildsingapore website
