I HAVE lived in Singapore for more than 20 years and am a big
fan of how clean and green the country is.
I applaud the efforts of those who have made it this way. I
wonder, however, if the same care is extended to Singapore's
surrounding waters.
Whenever I swim in the sea, I notice that the water quality
looks bad and my skin starts to itch after I come out of the water.
I love the ocean and coastal areas in general, and have travelled
enough to know that these are not signs of a healthy marine
environment.
I have heard that Singapore is one of the few countries that
does not require shipping traffic and industries to treat their
waste. Is it really true that tankers are allowed to dump their
untreated waste into the sea without cost or recrimination?
I would like to know why Singapore's surrounding waters are so
dirty and what is the official policy towards water pollution by
the main offenders, be they vessels or industries.
Yumiko Davis (Ms)
