May Wong Channel NewsAsia 20 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE: The number of fallen trees dropped by up to 70 percent last year compared to nine years ago.
Last year, some 1,000 cases of tree failures were reported.
The number is 2,100 less than that in year 2000.
The number of tree failures in June this year however jumped by 170 percent to 240 cases, compared to the same month last year.
In a written reply to a question asked in Parliament, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the increase was due largely to the adverse weather.
He said NParks is reviewing its tree management programme in response to increasingly unpredictable weather conditions.
He added that it will also explore new technology to better assess the condition of trees.
NParks also carries out regular tree pruning to remove weak or overgrown branches.
-CNA/ir
