JTC stops erroneous clearing of land in Kranji

JURONG Town Corporation (JTC) said in a statement on Tuesday that it has stopped the clearing of land along Kranji Road/ Kranji Lane.

It clarified that the land had been erroneously cleared by its contractors, who began clearing works before the commissioned Biodiversity Baseline Study was completed.

The works appeared in a number of social media posts.

JTC had earlier engaged an environmental specialist to study and publish an Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan (EMMP) ahead of continuing with plans to develop the Agri-Food Innovation Park, for which the area has been earmarked.

The agency said that it had instructed the contractor to stop the clearing of land immediately when the mistake came to light. It reiterated that no further clearing has taken place on the site thereafter.

"JTC takes a very serious view of this incident. JTC has always been committed to protecting the environment when developing industrial land, and is investigating how this error occurred before deciding whether further punitive measures need to be taken," said a JTC spokesperson.

Further, it promised to continue the study and work closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure that redevelopment plans are carried out in an environmentally responsible and sensitive manner.

The affected area is part of the Sungei Kadut Eco-District located along the Northern Agri-Tech and Food Corridor. The Urban Redevelopment Agency announced in its Masterplan earlier this month that the area would be set aside for progressive development in the next 20 to 30 years.