1m-long monitor lizard at Kallang River catches visitor by surprise

S'pore getting more polluted? Discharge turns Mountbatten drain bright blue

Bishan Park Canal polluted with paint by nearby condominium

Water pollution? White substance discharged into Upper Thomson stream

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

Bishan Park canal clear and doesn't stink now, thanks to STOMP tip-off

Bishan Park canal stinks: Is sewage being discharged into canal?

Man catches 3kg pomfret at MBS...with his bare hands

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.

First blue, now pink. What’s with all the coloured water in canals nowadays?

Just last week, STOMPers spotted blue water in canals at Jurong. Today (Mar 2), a STOMPer spotted pink water flowing down a canal at Serangoon. What's with all the pollution?

In an email to STOMP today (Mar 2), the STOMPer says:

"There was pink water in this drain at Serangoon Ave 2.

"The weird substance was flowing from Serangoon Ave 2 past Nanyang Polytechnic and Lorong Chuan."

Related posts: Water at Jurong Port canal turns blue because of pollution (26th February 2010)
Check out the blue water in this canal! (25th February 2010)

If my maps are accurate, the canals in this area should drain into the Kallang River itself, and any pollutants inside will eventually end up in the Marina Reservoir.

So convenient to dispose paint into Geylang river when renovating tennis court

STOMPer Lester was not happy when he spotted paint apparently being discharged into the Geylang river for the renovation of a private tennis court at Aston Mansions.

Says this STOMPer:

"Aston Mansions at Lorong 42 Geylang were renovating their tennis court Lor 42 Geylang.

"Discharged paint into the Geylang river."

Hey Singaporeans, is this how you treat your own living environment?

STOMPER Kim Yong was appalled when he saw so much non-biodegradable trash at this Old Airport Road water passage area.

In an email to STOMP today (Sept 18), the STOMPer says:

"This picture taken at Old Airport Road, next to the North Light School, shows so much non-biodegradable trash in the river.

"I wish Singaporeans can learn to be more civic-minded and conscious of their own living environment."

That is probably Sungei Geylang, which empties into the Kallang Basin, which in turn forms part of the Marina Reservoir.

Seriously, when will people figure out that their thoughtless actions ultimately affect our water supply?

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.

So many dead fish washed ashore near The Oasis in Kallang

The sight of so many dead fish on the shoreline near The Oasis at Kallang surprised STOMPer Ricky. He says that these fish are Tilapia, a species that is normally very resistant to pollution.

Here's what the STOMPer had to say:

"I was watching the sunset today (July 1) at about 7:00 pm near The Oasis in Kallang.

"I spotted so many dead fish washed up along the shore there. This is not normal.

"The fish are Tilapia, which are usually very strong fish that do not die easily. This means that the water must be very polluted in order to kill them.

"I hope the relevant authorities will look into the matter soon."

Related Stories:

Marine life destoyed by massive pollution at Kranji Reservoir

Api Api River is now too polluted for fishing

Dead fish at Kranji beach: Poisoned by polluted waters?

Related posts: Why so many dead fish in Rochor River? (10th February 2009)
Dead fish clog this waterway near Toa Payoh flyover (29th January 2009)

I wonder if other forms of aquatic life are dying off as well, or if only tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) are being affected.

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.

Instant palm trees may beautify dull Marina Barrage

A STOMPer saw these instant palm trees near the Marina Barrage may help add some greenery to the otherwise dull concrete environment there.

He said:

"This picture of some instant palm trees was taken near the Marina Barrage at Marina Mall.

"Each tree has a base covered with earth and surrounded with a large white plastic sheet, held in place by strong wire mesh.

"As this area is very windy the tree needs extra support from the white guy-ropes that run from the top of the trunk to the wooden spikes driven into the ground around the tree.

"Perhaps these palm trees are to be planted in the Gardens by the Bay (still under construction) or near the roads in the adjoining areas.

"As the Marina Barrage is mostly concrete these trees will provide a welcome change to the otherwise drab environment."

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?