Firefighters put out forest fire at Sembawang

Water pollution? White substance discharged into Upper Thomson stream

That's no fish: Alligator spotted at Sembawang Park?

Heavy morning storm topples trees across island

Heavy morning wind and rain sent some trees toppling to the ground across the island today, causing obstruction to many road users.

STOMPer eckman88 saw this huge fallen tree at Admiralty Road West.

The road was inaccessible because the tree lay across the road.

He says:

"Fallen tree again, this time it closed the whole Admiralty Road West."

STOMPer Sam was driving to work when he was too, obstructed by a fallen tree near the Marina Barrage.

Sam says:

"I was driving to work at the Marina Barrage when suddenly I saw that I was blocked by a fallen tree.

"It fell due to the heavy rain in the morning I guess.

"I called up the people from the control room, who subsequently called NEA to help remove the fallen tree.

"Oh dear here we go again; Singapore is facing a big problem yet again".

Another STOMPer fastfastmikey also saw a fallen tree at Commonwealth.

The sender says:

"A fallen tree seen at North Buona Vista Road before Commonwealth Avenue West, blocking one of the lanes".

$2,000 reward for finding beloved pet parrot, no questions asked

STOMPer Sin Pei Lee has yet to find her beloved pet parrot, Hong Hong. She is offering $2,000 as a reward to anyone who finds Hong Hong.

The owners previously offered $1,000 in an earlier article.

The STOMPer said:

“My pet parrot, Hong Hong, flew out of our flat at Blk 262A Compassvale Street at about 9pm of June 3. Hong Hong is a Congo African Grey parrot, tame and talkative.

"The reward is $2000 if found and retrieved. No questions asked. Please contact [redacted].

"Thursday night marked the 3rd week since Hong Hong was lost and as I sat alone in my living room, I finally cried out for the first time.

"I cried because as I recite Hong Hong favorite line; "Nie hou ma?"(How are you? in Mandarin), I realised I no longer know how Hong Hong is and whether or not Hong Hong is being well treated. Hong Hong, nie hou ma?

"I kept staring at Hong Hong's cage & playstand while my crying continues. Both the cage & playstand is filled with toys for Hong Hong to chew & play with.

"Hong Hong, are you having any toys now?

"In the past 3 weeks, my husband and I has done loads of things to find Hong Hong. We kept ticking on one after another action that can be done to find Hong Hong...

"We contacted the SPCA, AVA, Jurong Birdpark, posted on websites & forums, posting flyers to mailboxes, getting contractor to post more flyers to HDB door-to-door, visiting birdshops, walking & calling Hong Hong at HDB floor by floor and checking out online day after day.

"Yet Hong Hong is still missing.

"We have also encountered many helpful & compassionate people and would like to thank them as below:

"1) Ivan of Jurong Birdpark, Ridzuan of AVA & staff of SPCA (contacted me via phone so I forgot the name)

"2) Our fellow neighbour at Block 290A Sengkang who informed us of Hong Hong flying in then out of his house (again, we didn't get his name)

"3) Mr. John of ATW, our flyer contractor who prioritize our flyer distribution to within the 1st week.

"4) Staff at STOMP for posting out my story. (including this, the 3rd time)

"5) Mr Chew of Colchester Grove who contacted us on an african grey parrot flying into his garden on June 17 (it's not Hong Hong and we were unable to help since the parrot also flew off when my husband reach there)

"6) Mr. KY Wong of Shin Min Daily News who noticed the STOMP story & followed up with a newspaper article on June 21

"7) Supportive fellow members of various forums, bird shops owner and many others.

"We no longer have any further actions that can be done aside from posting online.

"Please help us to find Hong Hong back."

I guess this owner must really adore her African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus); this is the 3rd time she has posted about her missing parrot, with the previous reports dating to 20th June and 7th June.

Dead crabs washed ashore on polluted beach

Clean and green? Grass patch outside Sembawang MRT always littered on

Even though Singapore is supposed to be a clean and green city, this grass patch outside Sembawang MRT station is always littered with rubbish, says STOMPer Concerned citizen.

The place is so dirty that she has even spotted rats scurrying around in the area.

The sender is frustrated as nothing has been done to clean up the place even after a complaint was submitted a month ago.

In an email dated October 5, STOMPer Concerned citizen says:

"It is perpetually filthy at the grass patch leading into Sembawang MRT Station from the zebra crossing along the main road.

"You can see wrappers, packet drinks, cigarette butts, etc scattered around this area.

"I have even seen rats scurrying around the bushes in the evenings!

"I have raised my concern on the cleanliness of this area to town council who referred me to SMRT, who referred my feedback to NParks!

"Nearly a month has passed and nothing has been done to clean up this place at all.

"Is this our so-called efficiency? Or have we reached a point of indifference and complacency?"

Waves pounding shore cause destruction to coast and trees at beautiful beach in Johor

STOMPer Beachcomber hopes that something can be done to save the coast and trees of this beautiful sandy beach at in Johor. Waves pounding the shore have caused tree roots to be exposed and soil eroded.

Says this STOMPer:

"These pictures were taken at the stretch of beautiful sandy beaches between Jalan Mempurong and the Straits of Johor.

"This place is ideal for swimming, canoeing and fishing.

"This tree has its roots exposed because the soil has been eroded.

"With the waves pounding on the shore, part of the shoreline is now gone and it will be a matter of time before the tree topples over.

"I hope something can be done to save our coast and trees."

Related posts: Somebody do something to save our coastline! (16th July 2009)
Stones dislodged from damaged breakwaters are a danger to swimmers (15th July 2009)
The glory and the sad end of a giant tree (20th June 2009)
Serious soil erosion at Pasir Ris Park (14th June 2009)
More trees will be destroyed by waves hitting shoreline (5th June 2009)
Waves seriously eroding our northern shoreline at Kranji Reservoir (31st May 2009)

There's something incredibly stupid about this post.

You see, based on the article submitted by this person, the stretch of coastline he is talking about is situated in the Sembawang area, just beyond the Bottle Tree Village.


Here is the area, as seen on Google Earth.

Clearly, this person is talking about a part of Singapore. So why on Earth does the opening sentence of the article refer to a 'beautiful sandy beach at in Johor'?

Was this a glaring error on the part of the editors at STOMP? Or did the person who made the original submission make a mistake? Was someone thrown off by the mere mention of the Straits of Johor?

Whatever the case, it is a very clear indicator that someone seriously needs to take a good look at a map of Singapore.

Stones dislodged from damaged breakwaters are a danger to swimmers

A STOMPer hopes that the damaged breakwaters in Sembawang's beach will be repaired soon as swimmers have a high risk of getting injured by the dislodged stones.

He also hopes that after repairing them, coastal erosion will be reduced too. Save our coastline before it's too late, says the STOMPer.

Marine engineer told STOMP via email today (Jul 15):

"These pictures were taken at the beach at the end of Sembawang Road near the former Wak Hassan kampung.

"The breakwater was built some years back to protect the shoreline but now holes have appeared owing to the daily pounding of the waves from the Johor Straits.

"Parts of the breakwater had been damaged and the stones were dislodged and strewn all over the beach.

"Some are now covered with barnacles and these are hazardous to swimmers.

"The ground above the tide level has green grass but because of soil erosion the grass and soil have disappeared. The sandy beach is now nearer to the shore line.

"Some mangrove trees have exposed roots and in time to come they will fall and perish in a watery grave.

"I hope the breakwater can be repaired and something can be done to save our mangrove trees and the soil before the waves make more inroads into our coastline.

"Since NParks has been maintaining the Sembawang Park nearby, why not build some boardwalks here so that the public can have a place to relax during the weekends."

Related posts: The glory and the sad end of a giant tree (20th June 2009)
Serious soil erosion at Pasir Ris Park (14th June 2009)
More trees will be destroyed by waves hitting shoreline (5th June 2009)
Waves seriously eroding our northern shoreline at Kranji Reservoir (31st May 2009)

Stop littering and polluting our beaches!

STOMPer Beachcomber was put off by the unsightly rubbish left behind at a beach in Sembawang and hopes that the relevant authorities will do something about the pollution.

He told STOMP via email today (Jul 15):

"These pictures were taken at the beach beside Jalan Selimang.

"On the field carpeted with grass I saw this pile of discarded plastic bottles, bags and food wrappers.

"Somebody must have been burning here as you can see burnt ashes in an otherwise beautiful field covered with green grass.

"There is a stream of water which flows into the sea.

"When I visited the beach last week I found that the water was tainted with oil and when the sun was shining, the water appeared as a stream of rainbow-coloured water.

"I hope NEA will stop all these pollution and make our beach a better place for weekend visitors."

Similar stories:
NO thanks to pollution, Sembawang beach is now unsuitable for swimming
Marine life destroyed by massive pollution at Kranji ReservoirFilthy beaches in our 'garden city'

Related posts: Litter and pollution at East Coast ruins leisurely swim (9th July 2009)
Clean up Lim Chu Kang beach before it turns into marine graveyard" (28th June 2009)
Disgusting littering at West Coast Park shows failure of our education system (7th June 2009)
What's left after Friday night fun at East Coast (6th June 2009)
Pollution makes Sembawang beach unsuitable for swimming (26th April 2009)
Look at this filthy Admiralty Road beach! (4th Match 2009)

Selimang beach: New place to go for flower crabs

Psst! Not just FREE durians here, there are FREE rambutans too

One STOMPer had previously told us about the free durians at the wooded area around Bukit Batok. Now, another STOMPer, Durian Addict, has found a spot where one can get free durians and rambutans.

He said:

"These pictures were taken at a forest at Jalan Mempurong in Sembawang.

"These forests abound with rambutans and durians.

"During lunch time as I drove past this road I saw many workers busily picking free rambutans.

"They used bamboo sticks, stones and even iron rods to induce the rambutans to drop.

"One of them offered me some yellow rambutans which tasted very sweet.

"I was told that on Sundays legions of foreign workers usually came to pick durians and rambutans and enjoyed themselves by going to the nearby beach to swim."

Related posts: Free fruits in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (7th July 2009)
All night vigil for free durians at Jln Kampong Chantek (6th July 2009)
Durian paradise uncovered in Lim Chu Kang (6th July 2009)
Psst! Here's the secret of where to get durians in S'pore -- FREE (3rd July 2009)
Wild buah langsat at Jalan Murai a treat for foreign workers (28th June 2009)

Remove these plants or these walls may collapse

STOMPer Jogger is concerned that these walls may be eventually cracked by the roots of the plants growing on them. These pictures are taken at the bank of the Sungei Sembawang between Woodlands Ave 7 and Admiralty Road West.

In his email:

"The fig tree is growing on the concrete wall of the river bank. This tree has powerful roots and one day it may crack the concrete wall.

"The tree known as Ficus religiosa can grow to a height of 20m and its powerful roots will one day crack the wall of the river bank.

"This weep hole is covered with grass and this impedes drainage of water.

"Retaining walls are usually designed to drain away water that accumulates behind the wall. Otherwise, the pressure behind the wall may cause it to collapse. The weep holes should be kept clear of grass and plants so that the water can drain properly.

"It is best to remove the young plants before they cause extensive damage. I hope NEA and NParks will look into this problem."

Related posts: Complaint about danger tree on June 3, action taken to remove it on June 3 (4th June 2009)
Long tree roots may damage overhead bridge (2nd June 2009)
"Tree roots may cause this Spottiswoode Park shophouse to collapse" (6th April 2009)
Powerful tree roots damage Bukit Batok drain (9th March 2009)
Danger: Growing tree roots can crack wall of river bank (8th March 2009)
Tree growing on old shophouse may cause pillars to give way (2nd February 2009)
This tree has claimed a bridge of its own (30th January 2009)

The plant in the 3rd photo looks more like the sea hibiscus (Talipariti tiliaceum).

Personally, I prefer natural-looking river channels, instead of the ugly sterile concrete canals so prevalent throughout Singapore. As part of the ABC Waters Programme, perhaps some allowance should be provided for certain stretches of our rivers to return to a more natural state, which would not only be a great improvement from an aesthetic point of view, but also allow aquatic life to flourish.

Do these trees at Sembawang Park have an unknown disease?

STOMPer conservationist wonders whether these trees, seen at the Sembawang Park Connector, have an unknown disease as their leaves are filled with holes.

This STOMPer says:

"These pictures were taken at the Sembawang Park Connector (SPC) that runs from Gambas Ave to Sembawang Way.

"Many of the trees here are stricken with an unknown plant disease and all the leaves have holes in them.

"Perhaps some caterpillar or insect has been eating these juicy leaves and creating havoc on our environment.

"I hope NParks will send its inspectors to find out the cause and do something to save these trees which provide good shade for joggers and inline skaters."

I wonder if the person who posted this to STOMP is deliberately being daft. Anyone would readily guess that this tree has had its leaves chewed up by caterpillars or other herbivorous insects. That hardly counts as an "unknown plant disease". Furthermore, I doubt he is in any position to diagnose a garden plant as suffering from an "unknown plant disease"; after all, I doubt he is an arborist or some other specialist in the field of horticulture.

Besides, I don't quite see how a single tree with holes in its leaves is an indicator of insects 'creating havoc on our environment'.

Kudos to NParks for beautiful Sembawang Park Connector, says STOMPer

The Sembawang Park Connector is beautifully done up with an abundance of greenery, says a STOMPer, who cycled through it.

Full of praise for the park connector, he says:

"These pictures were taken at the Sembawang Park Connector (SPC) that runs alongside Sungei Sembawang from Woodlands Ave 10 all the way to Admiralty Road West.

"This park connector is very popular with the residents who come here for jogging and cycling.

"This lizard (Calotes versicolor) was spotted on the trunk of a palm tree. It is able to change its colour from yellow to green to brown to blend in with the colour of the environment.

"These three rock pigeons (Columba livia) were standing on the river bank eyeing the water in the river.

"These pigeons are fed by the residents who throw rice and corn pellets for them to eat.

"The flower of the sea putat tree (Barringtonia asiatica) is very beautiful and when the tree is blooming the crown looks purplish white.

"Reaching a height of 20m this tree provides a good shade for tired joggers.

"NParks has built some benches along the SPC. These benches have a cemented base and brown seats and they appear to be strong and sturdy.

"The SPC looks beautiful with all those flowers planted by NParks.

"The residents here are fortunate to have a green lung in the midst of their sprawling estate."

Maybe NParks would consider extending this park connector to the sea?

STOMPer Aesthetician enjoys using the Sembawang park connector and wonders if NParks would consider his suggestion of extending it all the way to the sea.

In his email to STOMP today (June 2), the STOMPer included these pictures of the park connector and an empty grass patch leading to the Sembawang beach.

"As a park lover and one who enjoys jogging on the Sembawang Park Connector, I hope NParks will acquire the empty land beside the Sungei Sembawang from Admiralty Road West to the Straits of Johor.

"The park connector (if upgraded in the near future) should run alongside the river from Woodlands Ave 10 all the way to the beach near Senoko Gas Works."

The popular beach near Jalan Menpurong

A STOMPer came across many interesting things at the beach near Jalan Menpurong, and would like to share his find with fellow STOMPers.

In an email to STOMP today (April 26), the STOMPer says:

"These pictures were taken at the beach near Jalan Mempurong.

"Parts of the sea wall have been damaged, and if nothing is done, further damage will result in more soil erosion.

"The sea cockroaches (Ligia hawaiiensis) live near rocks on the beach. These are isopods and they move with very fast speed. If you go near them, they will scatter in all directions.

"In another picture, you will see a group of barnacles that attach themselves to rocks, piers and the hull of ships. These common littoral animals are actually crustaceans and not molluscs.

"They are fouling organisms. Their presence is often serious enough to slow ships down. Scraping them off is an expensive and laborious task. Recently, barnacles have become useful in dentistry since their strong protein cement has been found to be useful in fitting dentures.

"The concrete pier at the beach is very popular with anglers . You can see men, women and children here daily as they cycle here to fish and enjoy the fresh air by the sea."