Visitors still at Lim Chu Kang farms despite chikungunya virus

Ca-Mie De Souza, Channel NewsAsia 31 Aug 08;

SINGAPORE: Visitors are still enjoying the countryside in the Lim Chu Kang area, even though part of it has been hit by the chikungunya virus.

Touted as the last bastion of an authentic Singapore countryside, the Lim Chu Kang area has been linked to five recently reported cases of chikungunya fever. Some farm operators said fogging does not help with the situation.

Ivy Singh-Lim, president of the Kranji Countryside Association, said: "How do you fog the entire Singapore countryside? The answer is not about fogging, the answer is to understand eco-friendly practices.

"Instead of doing things like fogging, which actually creates an even more dangerous situation because you are eliminating the natural predators, stem the disease before it enters our country."

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said fogging is an important part of its two-pronged approach to control the mosquito population. The other strategy is to remove as many mosquito-breeding habitats as possible.

NEA said its officers have found more than 60 breeding sites in the area – 55 of which were on farms. That is why, as an added precaution, 400 visitors at a Kranji farm for a company function on Sunday have a blue patch on them to keep mosquitoes at bay.

Kenny Eng, business development manager, Nyee Phoe, said: "We are much more concerned than anyone who comes to our place because if we don't do well in upkeeping our venue, people won't come, then there is no business."

A new establishment, D'Kranji Farm Resort, said it is not delaying its planned opening next weekend. In fact, it has already hit 70 per cent occupancy rate for the weeks ahead.

Harry Quek, resort manager, D'Kranji Farm Resort, said: "We did engage our pest control company to do fogging every week, and we make sure that there is no water logging and we clear all the rubbish every day."- CNA/so