Dirty, smelly and brown: What's happened to S'pore River?

Water discoloration at Marina Bay worsens as pollution increases

The water discoloration caused by pollution at Marina Bay has worsened since it was first noticed by STOMPer Aki a few weeks ago.

On May 17, Aki posted a picture which show slight discoloration of the waters near his office in Raffles Quay.

In a separate picture taken today (May 26), the discoloration is visibly more serious.

Suspecting that waste from one of the buildings is being released into the waters, the STOMPer hopes that NEA will investigate the cause before things get out of control.

Aki says in a message:

"I took this photo from our office.

"I feel bad that this building in Raffles Quay is disposing waste in Marina Bay.

"You can see the discoloration in the water.

"NEA should look into this".

Picture of discoloration taken on May 17:

Related post: Waste from Raffles Quay building pollutes water at Marina Bay (17th May 2010)

Waste from Raffles Quay building pollutes water at Marina Bay

A commercial building in Raffles Quay is polluting the waters at Marina Bay, says STOMPer aki.

The worried STOMPer says:

"I took this photo from our office.

"This building in Raffles Quay is disposing waste into the waters at Marina Bay.

"You can see the discolouration in the water.

"NEA should look into this."

Based on the map, it appears that the building in question is One Marina Boulevard.

Fish-eating birds flock to Marina for a good meal

The beautiful sandy beach at Marina Promenade is not only popular with sightseers, it is also a hot spot for fish-eating birds, says STOMPer Angler.

While there recently, the sender spotted many birds standing on the shore, waiting for a chance to scoop their prey out of the waters.

In an STOMPer Angler says:

"One morning I was at the corner of Queen Elizabeth Walk and Marina Promenade looking out to the sea and the Merlion.

"Just below me was a short stretch of sandy beach and at low tide, many birds gathered to wait for the fish to arrive.

"I spotted this bird that was patiently waiting for about 10 minutes (photo 1) for the tide to bring in a shoal of fish.

"Suddenly this hawk-eyed bird saw a school of fish coming in with the wave. It stood still and once within earshot, quickly penetrated the water with its beak. Lo and behold it caught a small fish and its patience was rewarded.

"It then flew off to a nearby tree to enjoy its catch."

The bird is a little heron (Butorides striatus) or striated heron, our most common and widespread heron species. This is a bird that can be found in a large number of marine and freshwater habitats throughout Singapore, from mangroves and rocky shores to rivers and marshes, and even to ponds and canals in urban areas.


(Photo by mjmyap)

Some little herons are known to use lures to increase their chances of success while fishing; using small objects such as leaves, feathers, or even pieces of bread, these individuals will place the item on the surface, and wait for curious fish to swim close enough. They hence qualify as one of a handful of birds to actually use some sort of 'tool' to obtain food.

Banks of S'pore River covered in beautiful sakura-like petals

These lovely flowers, which resemble the Japanese sakura, were spotted not in Japan but along the banks of our very own Singapore River.

The flowers are actually not cherry blossoms but are called Tabebuia rosea, says STOMPer Arborist.

Perhaps they can be considered Singapore's version of the beautiful cherry blossoms found in Japan.

In an email dated July 22, STOMPer Arborist says:

"These two pictures were taken at the Singapore River.

"The tall trees (Tabebuia rosea) usually bloom at this time of the year and when the flowers drop you can see a carpet of white and pink flowers on the ground.

"The flowers are bisexual, large and showy, purplish pink to white.

"The sepals are fused into a tubular structure about 2 cm long.

"These trees are very attractive from afar as they often catch your attention with a spectacular display of flowers after a dry spell.

"In Japan, the cherry blossom (sakura) is the unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and holds a very important position in Japanese culture."

Similar stories:
Cherry blossom-like trees along Geylang River
Cherry blossoms do happen in S'pore...at least something like it
Beautiful pink flowers in Jurong resemble cherry blossoms
Beautiful pink and white flowers at CCK cemetery- Is it sakura?

Related posts: Cherry blossom-like trees along Geylang River (21st July 2009)
Cherry blossoms do happen in S'pore...at least something like it (9th April 2009)
Beautiful pink flowers in Jurong resemble cherry blossoms (16th March 2009)
Beautiful pink and white flowers at CCK cemetery- Is it sakura? (27th February 2009)

Boatman works hard scooping out rubbish to keep the Singapore River clean

Thanks to this boatman who steers a motor boat up and down a river to scoop up dead leaves and debris, our river is kept clean, says STOMPer Boatman.

In an email to STOMP today (June 30), the STOMPer says:

"These pictures were taken at the Singapore River. The boatman steers a motor boat up and down the river.

"His job is to scoop up the dead leaves and debris to keep our waterways clean.

"As seen in the pictures, there is an orange floater at the mouth of a canal to retain the dead leaves and debris.

"Many dead leaves can be found in our rivers.

"It takes a lot of effort to keep our rivers clean. So next time before you throw your drink can or cigarette box into the river, think of the people who have to clean up the rubbish in the river."

Lack of rubbish bins ruins scenery at Marina Barrage

A lack of rubbish bins at Marina Barrage has caused visitors to dump their rubbish around the bin instead of into it, spoiling the beautiful scenery, says STOMPer Lydia.

She hopes that the authorities would look into this.

Says the STOMPer:

"Here are some of the self explanatory photos showing the situation on the Marina Barrage. Due to the lack of rubbish bins, there is litter everywhere.

"These photos were taken yesterday morning June 6, at around 7.30am.

"At that time, there were some tourists busy taking photos and it would be good if you could look into this.

"Hopefully, in future, more tourists will be impressed by our Clean Singapore City."

Similar stories:
Disgusting littering at West Coast Park shows failure of our education system
What a load of rubbish at the Marina Barrage

Related article: All clogged up (1st April 2009) (Mirror)

Related post: Litter at sightseeing spot near Singapore Flyer spoils Singapore's clean image (9th May 2009)

It's not a lack of bins that's causing the problem, it's the complete lack of civic-mindedness in the people who couldn't be bothered to at least hold on to their trash until they find a usable bin.

Cleaning up the Singapore River took 10 years and $200 million. When will people ever get it into their heads that their littering is ultimately affecting the cleanliness of the water we might end up drinking?

Litter at sightseeing spot near Singapore Flyer spoils Singapore's clean image

It is a disgrace to see the area around the Singapore Flyer and Marina Barrage littered with rubbish, says STOMPer Winter.

Apart from the image it projects, the STOMPer is also worried that not enough is being done to prevent the swine flu or other diseases from spreading.

In an email dated May 9, Winter says:

"The river bank separating Singapore Flyer and Marina Barrage was seen filled with rubbish along the coast.

"Empty drink bottles, paper cups and plastic bags were seen along the river bank.

"Singapore Flyer is a tourist attraction and this will reflect badly on Singapore's image.

"Also, in times of the swine flu, it is best that not only the shopping centres or public toilets be kept clean, the river banks should be kept clean to prevent the spread of disease and also to keep our water clean."

I'm not sure what the dead bird in the last photo has to do with littering.

I really wonder if it's going to be cost-effective to attempt to treat the water from the Marina Reservoir to meet potable water standards. After all, given that the river was all but dead until the 1980s, and I doubt people are ever going to wake up and stop tossing trash into their water supply, maybe it would be better to use the Marina Reservoir just for our non-potable water needs. Unless of course, we take littering as a problem more seriously, and clamp down even harder on idiotic litterbugs.

Call of the Koel

Male Asian koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus), Bukit Panjang;
(Photo by kampang)

The Asian koel is a bird that has adapted very well to urban Singapore. Not everyone knows its name, nor is it often spotted, but I'm sure that everyone in Singapore would be familiar with the male's unmistakable call.

Be careful the next time you're at Clarke Quay

A STOMPer would like to warn fellow STOMPers about the potential dangers at Clarke Quay.

In an email to STOMP today (Mar 12), the STOMPer says:

"This tree planted at Clarke Quay near the Singapore River is full of sharp thorns on its stem. Trees are an allurement to young children and if during a session of fun and frolic, one of them were to knock his/her head on the stem, he could suffer severe cuts on his head even if he does not go blind.

"Children by reason of their physical and mental immaturity need special care, including legal protection.

"If NParks were to plant a bush with poisonous berries in a public walkway or a park, it should fence it off in case the children visiting the park are tempted to eat the berries.

"NParks should always be aware of its legal liability in planting these dangerous trees in a public place.

"One of the photos below shows the exit to the Singapore River. It is meant for passengers who are going for a ride on the river cruise. In the day, it is not used and there is no chain or barrier to keep young children off. If a child were to fall into the river he could be drowned as the water here is about two metres deep. This exit is near the Alkaff Bridge.

"In another photo below, you will see the broken walkway at the edge of the Singapore River. This is a hazard for female pedestrians who are wearing high-heeled shoes. A proper walkway should be tiled or cemented to facilitate walking by passersby."

Related posts: Why plant chilli in area accessible by kids?
Dead leaves dangling from palm tree can crack your skull!

And I thought that Singaporeans' paranoia towards animals was bad enough. Why do I have a funny feeling that these 3 posts were all submitted by the same person?