For centuries, Singapore served as a gateway for travellers, traders, and sailors. And the Singapore River came to be recognized as the city’s heart: bustling with energy and life.
As more and more people began using the Singapore River as a trading and shipping hub, the river became overcrowded. As with every other river facing similar overcrowding, it was gradually filled with debris, trash, and sewage. As sanitation was still lacking, a lot of bodily waste was also seen floating in the river, along with occasional animal carcasses. According to many reports, the stench was overpowering.
The Singapore River Cleanup
In 1977, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew decided to clean up the river. He aimed to bring beauty back to the river that was once the heart of Singapore.
The effort was led by the Ministry of Environment; the whole process of cleaning cost about SGD $300 million. It took almost a decade to make the river beautiful again, and it was officially declared complete on 2nd September 1987.
Today, the river has once again become the heart of Singapore.
The Best Book to Read to Learn More About the Singapore River Clean-Up
The River’s Song by Suchen Christine Lim
A dive into the lives of people displaced by the cleaning of the Singapore River.