Appeal to NParks to assist Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council to implement proper tree management programme after PR-PTC refused to address the issue

by Phillip Ang

Dear Kenneth Er, CEO of National Parks Board (NParks),

I refer to my email to the Ministry of National Development (MND) permanent-secretary dated 30 Jan 2021, copied to ministers and the media.

Since Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PR-PTC) has refused to reply or resolve the issue, I am appealing to NParks to assist my town council on the issue of safety.

PR-PTC clearly does not have a proper tree management programme. In fact, it does not even know how to plant trees upright.

These are just a few instances:

And this has been happening for years (see image below).

Between Block 608 and 604, 10-ft-long leaves - which could cause serious injury to elderly residents and toddlers - are falling daily.

As is evident from the images below, residents and passers-by are unnecessarily exposed to danger.

PR-PTC's horticulture team is a joke when, instead of pruning, they simply wait for these leaves to fall to the ground and remove them from sight.

Of concern is a 6-storey-tall tree which has been leaning against the railing for months (see images below).

Should it fall, nearby residential units will be hit. It is noteworthy that a few similar trees have fallen recently.

Please send an officer to verify the above and contact me if assistance is required.

After the recent fatal accident caused by a falling tree at Marsiling, I hope NParks understands the urgency for PR-PTC to address this issue.

While accidents do happen, some are clearly preventable.

Would appreciate if NParks could offer assistance to PR-PTC's chairman Taha at [email protected]

Thank you, and have a nice day.