Reply from East Coast Town Council

From: Vijay Seenivasan


To: grant@singapore.com

Cc: Chee Heng Chng ; tbc4@hdb.gov.sg

Subject: Fw: HDB MAILBOX - 2 RAIN TREES AT CHANGI VILLAGE ARE CONSTANTLY OVER TRIMMED

Date: Mon, Aug 30, 2010 2:14 pm

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Dear Mr Grant W. Pereira


Thank you for your feedback on 24/8/2010 to HDB on the above matter.

Please be informed that for future maintenance, we will work with our horticultural specialist to avoid over trimming of the trees at Changi Village.

You can contact our Senior Horticultural Officer, Mr Chng Chee Heng at Tel 64449549 Ext 142 or me for matters relating to landscape maintenance.


Regards
S.Seenivasan Vijay
Property Manager
EAST COAST TOWN COUNCIL
Tel : 1800 444 9549 Ext 115



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FALLING TREES

The recent wet season has seen a number of trees toppling over and some with tragic results.  I believe that one reason contributing to this mishap is over pruning.  More estate work is given out to contractors (many of whom employ unqualified or unskilled staff).


They over trim trees very badly (sometime leaving almost no leaves at all). I suspect laziness is the reason they do this so that they don't have to come back at regular intervals (perhaps HDB and NPARKS would like to relook into this contractual condition about pruning maintenace).


When a large tree has no leaves, it is not possible to carry out photosynthesis and this deprives the tree of nourishment and hence weakens it.  The weaken trees with strong winds and heavy rain is a disaster waiting to happen.  At good example of  one rain tree (Samanea saman) at Changi Village.

I have written to both the HDB and NPARKS about this.

If you see any tree that over trimmed or in danger of falling please email the following:

• National Parks Board:  NPARKS_MAILBOX@NPARKS.GOV.SG, helpline number 1800-471 7300
• Housing Development Board: hdbmailbox@hdb.gov.sg