Transformation of Singapore River

A clean river and the vehicular Elgin bridge in the distance

About 50 years ago, the Singapore River was polluted with the tonkangs (small bumboats) plying the river to bring the unloaded sacks of rice, foodstuffs, textiles building material and even equipment to be stored in the godowns near the river which is now called the Boat Quay. There were many poor labourers and coolies ekeing out a meagre existence, carrying the bags from the tonkangs to the godowns and sometimes back to the ships. They literally lived beside the river and made their drinking, doing business and dumping waste into the river. In short the river stank of dead animals, faeces, garbage and waste.

Since our Government came into power, they have made many efforts to clean up the river with successive cleanups, moving out of the labourers and coolies as well as developing a world class container port called Port Singapore Authority (PSA) which has the second highest tonnage moved per year in the world. The cleanup of the river started around the 1970s and by the lates 1970s the godowns were all history, being replaced by law offices, architects firms, clan associations and many eating and drinking establishments.

In 1984, a MP for Mountbatten, Major Fong Sip Chee, declared the river 'clean' and swam the width of the river to show that it was indeed clean. His act is still remembered to this day. Its 26 years down the road and I happened to snap some interesting shots of the river outside the UOB tower, the morning was bright and there were fishes in the river and birds searching for 'breakfast'.


A bird and his 'breakfast'

The only boats which ply the river are the tourist bumboats, and the river is clean, and it is on par with some of the rivers in Switzerland in my opinion.Some people even fish by the side, and its complete transformation is indeed a wonder to behold.