| The
New Paper, 10 November 2003 STUMPED... by tree-felling during Clean and Green Week By TEH JEN LEE |
A
SHAME 'It is a shame to see those big old trees going for a couple of trucks when these heavy vehicles do have alternatives.... Read Fatal accidents involving trucks |
| It was a week meant to promote public awareness
on environmental issues. Islandwide, trees were planted last week
to mark the Clean and Green Week. But for 76 trees along Upper Changi
Road North near Changi Prison, the week marked the beginning of the
end. They are being cut down in a road-widening project that started
at the end of October. Of the 76, 17 are mature trees, including Angsana trees averaging about 60 years, and native Pulai trees |
 |
| that are a few years old. A Land Transport Authority
(LTA) spokesman said the 0.95km-stretch between Jalan Bena and Tanah
Merah Besar Road will be widened from a current one-lane road to a
dual two-lane road to support future developments in the area. And
there was little choice but to fell some of the trees. Last Thursday, botanist Joseph Lai, 43, was dismayed to see the stumps of three big trees that had just been cut down. The shops in the area told him that they had received letters from LTA informing them of the road-widening. Mr Lai appealed for the remaining trees, saying the trees cut were just outside Changi Tree Conservation Area (TCA), where written permission from the Parks and Recreation Commisioner is needed to cut trees of 1m-girth or bigger. He said: 'While ministers and members of the public alike are planting trees all over the island, here we have people chopping down big and mature trees, some even reaching 5m in girth. We should cherish old trees and try other ways to solve road problems... It doesn't mean that old trees are less valuable just becuase they are outside a TCA.' Mr Raj Thiagarajan, 50, managing director of Bernie's Restaurant and Bar, said the road is often congested because trucks with heavy loads use it instead of the bigger Loyang Avenue. He said: 'It's sad to see the trees go. It's hard to say if business will be better after everything is completed next year. Meanwhile, the construction will stop people from coming here.' A SHAME Said one of his regular customers, Mr Lex Barker, a company director in his 60s: 'It is a shame to see those big old trees going for a couple of trucks when these heavy vehicles do have alternatives. 'They just put in a new bus stop a couple of months ago but the trees on either side have been chopped down so I guess it's going to be taken out again. The planning could have been better.' A shopowner, who had been operating along Upper Changi Road North for 14 years, accepted that the trees had to go as part of the road expansion. The 33-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Mr Wong, said: 'I didn't know the trees were that old, but they were not something special to me. Anyway, (they) can be planted again.' |
| AUTHORITIES SAY... In an e-mail reply to The New Paper, an LTA spokesman said that they had worked closely with NParks during the design stage to minimise the felling of existing trees. They saved 103 trees. He said: 'We have also allocated adequate space for replanting trees after (completing the project). Together with other agencies, we had also explored other alternatives. 'Given the built-up environment in this area, the widening of Upper Changi Road North would be the most feasible option.' An NParks spokesman said it is becoming increasingly difficult to protect mature trees, but that it is necessary to try to do so 'so that the Garden City ambience is not lost.' 'NParks' guiding principle in cases of road development is to work closely with the relevant agencies to explore optimal designs to retain as many trees as possible. "NParks will ensure that mitigating measures such as replacement tree-planting are put in place.' |