News about nature and the environment in Singapore - Archives

List of Categories : about * animalwelfare * articles * books * coastalcleanup * cycling * education * envt * errata * events * heritage * internet * malaysia * marine * nature * news * parliament * photos * research * software * stamps * talks * trade * tvradio * world * jobs * conceptplan * cameratraps * map *

Mon 04 Feb 2013

MRT through the Nature Reserve: "the line goes 'through' primary forest and good secondary forest."

Category : news

Two weeks ago, LTA announced that they would build “two new rail lines and three new extensions by 2030″. Of the proposed new lines, the 50km Cross Island Line (CRL) was the cause of considerable concern, as it would cut through the Central Catchment Nature Reserve and I posted a couple of maps for scrutiny [see maps in link].

I sent local naturalist and GIS-geek Tony O'Dempsey the Land Transport Authority's map for a second opinion about the placement of the line. I was interested to see the type of forest we knew to be present which the line would cut through.

Click for larger map

Tony replied shortly after, saying, "I georeferenced that LTA map and co-registered it with this satellite image. The line goes 'through' primary forest and good secondary forest."

Tunnelling or overhead, construction is not a neat business. And if it will occur in our nature reserves, the integrity of an already impacted forest will be further challenged.

Posted at 7:15PM SGT by N. Sivasothi | permalink | email |