SINGAPORE: The National Parks Board (NParks) on Sunday (Feb 12) said it completed a detailed check on the trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ Palm Valley, a day after a massive Tembusu tree in the area fell, killing a woman and injuring four other people.
In a media statement, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation Dr Leong Chee Chiew said that the checks showed that the other trees in the area were safe, and added that NParks officials are in the midst of checking more trees in the Palm Valley vicinity.
Palm Valley remains closed to the public while investigations continue and the fallen tree is being cleared.
Dr Leong added that the rest of the Botanic Gardens remains open and is safe for the public to visit.
The Tembusu tree that fell was more than 270 years old and predates the establishment of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It was 40m tall with a 6.5m girth, and brought down surrounding palm trees when it fell. The tree was last inspected in September 2016, NParks said, adding that such inspections include checks on the root collar, anchoring roots, crown, trunk and signs of soil movement.
“We want to assure the public that we share concerns about the safety of our trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens, especially in view of the recent spate of intense weather conditions,” said Dr Leong, adding that NParks has, over time, stepped up inspections in response to “increasingly unpredictable and severe weather conditions”.
(Photo: Wendy Wong)
Dr Leong noted that previously, trees along expressways and major roads were inspected once every 12 to 18 months, and that since 2012, NParks has increased the frequency of inspections to once every six to 12 months. Since November 2016, trees more than 4m in girth are also subject to yearly detailed second-level inspections, he said.
Besides inspections, NParks also takes measures like routine mulching to supplement the regular application of fertilisers, and pruning techniques to improve the structure and balance of trees, he said.
“Going forward, we are already developing modelling techniques to better understand the structural behaviour of trees under varying environmental conditions like rain, wind and soil,” said Dr Leong.
He also urged the public not to speculate on why the Tembusu fell, saying that NParks is still investigating the incident and its priority now is to help the families of the woman who was killed as well as those who were injured.
