A National Parks Board officer found construction materials stored without approval at a protected area within Lower Peirce Reservoir, which was previously planted with native saplings and shrubs as part of the OneMillionTrees movement. The affected area had been cleared by a contractor, who was instructed to remove the storage items and will be investigated for the incident.
A series of photographs uploaded to the Facebook group Raffles' Banded Langurs show a worker removing construction materials from the site which is located within Lower Peirce Reservoir.
June 04, 2026 11:56 AMA patch of land in the protected Central Catchment Nature Reserve which contained saplings and shrubs planted by volunteers was unlawfully cleared last Friday . A National Parks Board officer carrying out routine inspections on Tuesday morning in the area, located within Lower Peirce Reservoir, found the land cleared by a contractor — for temporary storage of materials — without approval.
"NParks immediately instructed the contractor to stop its work and remove the storage items. NParks intends to replant the site," the board's group director for conservation Lim Liang Jim told AsiaOne in reply to queries. The affected area had been planted with native saplings and shrubs as part of the OneMillionTrees movement last year, Lim said. About 40 saplings and shrubs within half of the original tree-planting site was cleared by the contractor.
NParks had earlier told the contractor's site supervisor on a few occasions that the area was not suitable for their storage space, and advised them to use an alternative location, Lim said. But the contractor went against the board's direction.
"NParks will investigate this incident and will not hesitate to take action against the errant parties," Lim added. Under the Parks and Trees Act, it is an offence to cut, collect or displace any tree or plant within any national park or nature reserve without permission. Offenders face a fine of up to $50,000 and/or up to six months' jail. The OneMillionTrees movement aims to plant a million trees across the country by 2030.
To date, 870,430 trees have been planted since its launch in April 2020. Speaking to AsiaOne, Andie Ang, the chairperson of the Raffles' Banded Langur Working Group, said it was alerted to the incident by a volunteer who was on the ground at about 2pm on Tuesday. The group is an alliance of nature organisations, including NParks, dedicated to conservation works relating to the eponymous rare primate that resides in the forested Central Catchment Area.
Upon receiving photos of the incident, Ang immediately forwarded it to NParks, who told her they were investigating the incident. Two hours later, the volunteer noticed that the construction materials had been removed, with the area cordoned off. Ang said the incident is "shocking" as it happened inside a protected area and is a habitat restoration site.
She said the group had organised the tree-planting exercise last year under the OneMillionTrees movement, in which volunteers planted five different species of plants, two of which serve as food sources for the langurs. Ang also expressed concern about how the movement is being monitored, as well as the survival rate of trees that have been planted. In photographs seen by AsiaOne, a sign that read "reforestation in progress" can be seen. Ang said it was put up on Thursday.
Please follow us on Google to support usNational Parks Board Lower Peirce Reservoir Onemilliontrees Movement Central Catchment Nature Reserve Parks And Trees Act
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Malaysia launches refugee registration and job-matching program to address labor shortagesMalaysia has initiated a Refugee Registration Document (DPP) program to register over 200,000 refugees and asylum seekers, collecting biometric data into a central database. The program aims to improve security, welfare, and match eligible refugees aged 20-40 with temporary jobs in sectors facing labor shortages such as manufacturing, construction, and agriculture, while clarifying that it does not lead to permanent residency. Employers must follow labor laws, including minimum wage and accommodation provisions.
Read more »
South Korea Expands Local Voting Rights to Foreign Permanent ResidentsSouth Korea allows foreign nationals with permanent residency for at least three years and aged 18 or older to vote in local elections. A record 151,000 foreign residents are eligible in the current cycle, a 22-fold increase since 2006. Candidates in areas with large immigrant communities are campaigning in multiple languages, and local governments are providing voter materials in 13 languages to engage this growing electorate.
Read more »
AirAsia Reviews Policy After Family With Cerebral Palsy Removed From FlightMalaysian carrier AirAsia reviews its policy after a family with a child with cerebral palsy was offloaded from its flight due to safety concerns.
Read more »
Little India Sees Success in Pest Control Efforts, No Rat Burrows Found RecentlyThe National Environment Agency (NEA) reported that Little India has seen a significant reduction in rat burrow sightings, with none detected during the latest surveillance cycle.
Read more »