As a boy, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong would wade in the muddy ponds of Sungei Buloh, trying to catch prawns with his bare hands or with a scoop.
His relative operated one of the prawn farms in the area which have since made way for the 130ha Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. ‘It was all very exciting, especially eating steamed prawns and prawn fritters for dinner,’ he recalled.
He was speaking yesterday at the reserve’s 15th-anniversary celebrations, where he also unveiled new proposals for the area, which is home to mangroves, migratory shorebirds and wildlife such as mudskippers.
The draft masterplan will see the reserve being divided into four zones. In those designated as medium to high activity, facilities such as floating boardwalks, outdoor classrooms and a children’s play area will be built.
Access to the other two zones will be kept minimal, possibly requiring the accompaniment of certified nature guides or limited only to researchers.
There are plans, too, to ‘integrate the surrounding areas so that visitors will be able to enjoy the facilities right from the Kranji area to Sungei Buloh’, said Mr Wong Tuan Wah, director of conservation at the National Parks Board, which runs the reserve.
A footpath access from Kranji Dam will be enhanced with amenities such as shelters, allowing visitors to use an alternative entry point instead of the main one at Neo Tiew Crescent.
To strengthen the park’s educational efforts, the visitor centre will be upgraded to include a new lookout tower for birdwatchers, meeting rooms and dormitory-style accommodation for research groups.
Mr Wong said some research requires overnight work, while other researchers could stay the night to prepare for early activities the following day.
A working group, with members from the Nature Society, Singapore Environment Council and national water agency PUB among others, is finalising the concept plan, which should be ready in a year’s time.
Construction work is expected to start in 2010 and end by 2013.
There are no cost estimates yet and the park hopes to double the number of visitors to 200,000 a year with the new masterplan.
The park is open from 7.30am to 7pm on weekdays and 7am to 7pm on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free except on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and school holidays when adults pay $1, and kids, students and seniors 50 cents.
Visitors from Kranji MRT Station can take SMRT bus service 925 and alight at Kranji Reservoir carpark to take a 15-minute walk to the reserve. The bus stops at the reserve’s entrance on Sundays and public holidays.
Source : Sunday Times - 7 Dec 2008
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