Singapore River:Pollution and cleanup

再看新加坡河
從污染透頂到旅遊美景河

萊彿士登陸地點：新加坡河畔
　　昨天發佈的新加坡河長度有錯誤，實際上有11公里。
　　當萊彿士(Sir Stamford Raffles)於1819年抵步新加坡河時就看出該河的重要性，先在河的北邊建政府部門及南邊建起一個圍牆。
　　曾是毒河
　　据悉1880年代之後，新加坡河就因為迅速發展而開始被污染，如一些農場、菜市場及工業區的設立；還有沿河岸而建的船塢，繁忙的水上交通，各種排泄物，使該河污穢不堪，幾成毒河。1977年統計沿河共有750艘駁船的川行。
　　1977年李光耀（當時的首相）提出要還原新加坡清潔面貌，並揚言十年後要在新加河釣魚的話。當局終於澈底推動清潔新加坡河運動，十年後果然成為一條清潔河流，並成為旅遊的美景河。老李做到了！
　　老李做到了！
　　雖然新加坡許多旅遊都是人工的(articificial)，包括聖淘沙、新加坡河，她缺少天然資源與景物，然而她卻能吸引遊客，許多紅毛人看了都口口聲聲“汪大夫”Wonderful!
　　反觀砂拉越，詩巫，有全國最長河流，有天然景色熱帶雨林；但我們同樣有人工的黃河，紅毛人看了就搖頭Oh!What the hell!
　　何時還我拉讓江真貌！？
　　從德國的萊茵河至新加坡河，他們污染了又還原了，至今水流吸引源源不斷的外滙。拉讓江怎樣才能學到一些功課呢！？伐木業者是否應該抽特別美化稅來供給還原拉讓江原來面貌的基金呢？因為木桐所賺的錢除了放在全世界各地的銀行，又投資在天下各行各業，是否要多一些投資在本地旅遊業呢？
　　我們說德國仔精明，新加坡人怕輸，我們自己呢，有天鵝的外觀，卻有狼的貪心？殺雞取卵，賠了拉讓江，污染了一條江，卻是每天上報的慈善家！什麼時候我們會學像Bill Gates的胸襟？
下列是新加坡河的最古老橋樑：

Cavenagh Bridge, one of the oldest bridges that spans the Singapore River.
Singapore River:Pollution and cleanup
Starting in the 1880s, there was heavy traffic on the Singapore River due to rapid urbanization and expanding trade. At the same time, it brought in water pollution caused by the disposal of garbage, sewage and other by-products of industries located along the river's banks.

Some 750 lighters plied along the Singapore River and Kallang Basin in 1977. Waste, oil spills and wastewater from these boats and lighters added to the pollution of the rivers.

In 1977, Lee Kuan Yew, then the Prime Minister put forth an ambitious goal for the government to clean up the Singapore River and Kallang Basin: "and in ten years let us have fishing in the Singapore River and Kallang River. It can be done."

Ten years later in 1987, the clean-up of the Singapore River and Kallang Basin was completed. In September 1987, the Ministry of the Environment together with other government ministries and statutory boards celebrated the success of the clean-up with an event called the "Clean Rivers Commemoration".

After the massive clean-up, people can now engage in activities such as wayang performances on a bumboat, variety shows staged on pontoons anchored in the river, and boat races. Today, speedboats, dragon boats, pedal-boats and sampans can be seen plying on the clean waterways of the Singapore River.
More details pls log in-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_River
Mouth of Singapore River新加坡河口