Straits Times Forum 18 May 09;
I READ with interest last Thursday's replies by the National Parks Board and Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council in the letter, 'Parks, council open to greenery feedback'.
While it is true that stagnant water allows mosquitoes to breed, I simply cannot comprehend the idea of turning grass patches into concrete. Before we go into the issue of eroded soil clogging drains, should we not ask ourselves how the soil ended up in the drain in the first place?
The answer is clear. Soil is porous and concrete is not. By building a non-porous structure beside the grass patch, we are disturbing the natural flow of water. Water accumulates at the edge of the walkway and finally spills over into the drain, together with the top soil.
The problem of grass patches converted to concrete is not unique to Pasir Ris. Grass patches at many road junctions, walkways and void decks has been converted to concrete. Some of these areas do not have a problem of soil erosion or stagnant water.
In a world of climate change, were all avenues explored before the conversion? For example, installing a mesh over the drain that allows water to flow but prevents soil from entering? Or planting shrubs to secure the top soil and prevent erosion?
Anthony Tan
Parks, council open to greenery feedback
Straits Times Forum 14 May 09;
WE REFER to last Thursday's letter by Madam Chiang Meng Lee, 'Vanishing grass patches and shady trees - are we still going green?'
We assure Madam Chiang that the Government is committed to sustaining a clean and green environment. Although land is scarce, with careful planning, Singapore is able to commit 10 per cent of its land area to parks and nature reserves. Streetscape, or roadside greenery, forms the backbone of our City in a Garden.
While planting shade trees along the roadside is our first choice, palms were selected along the Tampines Expressway dividers due to site conditions. The National Parks Board (NParks) will consider Madam Chiang's feedback and review the planting along the expressway when it is scheduled for widening.
As for her feedback regarding the grass patch which was replaced with concrete, Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council would like to explain that the decision was made only after careful consideration of overall site conditions.
During the council's periodic site surveys, the arborist observed that eroded soil was clogging the scupper drains beside the slopes of the covered linkway between Block 581 and Block 582. To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in the drains, part of the grass patch was converted to a cement surface.
Notwithstanding this, the council will plant an additional row of bougainvillea shrubs along Pasir Ris Street 53 to enhance the greenery of the precinct.
We thank Madam Chiang for her feedback.
Simon Longman
Director, Streetscape
National Parks Board
Lydia Ho (Ms)
Public Relations Manager
Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council
Vanishing grass patches and shady trees - are we still going green?
Straits Times Forum 7 May 09;
I SIMPLY cannot reconcile what I see on the ground and the reports I read in the press about Singapore's greening and environmentally friendly plans ('Green is the word - from ground to the sky', April 28; and 'CDCs take green message to heartland', April 29).
Along fairly new highways like the Tampines Expressway, the authorities have planted palm trees instead of the shady trees that played no small part in creating our garden city image. These palms not only give no shade, but the glare on a hot day is also as good as not having any trees at all. Last but not least, they do not have the same appeal as shady trees.
If the reason is ease of maintenance, then we should not plan any trees at all. Have we allowed our over-efficiency to ride roughshod over our ability to appreciate beauty?
Also, around the estate where I live, in Pasir Ris Street 53, the town council is doing landscape upgrading works and many grass patches have been replaced with concrete. Even worse, the grass slopes that used to line the walkway to the bus stop at Block 581 have been completely removed and the space covered with concrete.
What is the reason for all these un-green moves? To save on maintenance? Whatever has happened to the idea of having some nature? This is undoubtedly why we feel the heat of the sun more these days.
I hope the authorities' plans are in sync with what is being done on the ground, or our greening plans will come to nothing.
Chiang Meng Lee (Mdm)
