[Transportation] Bus Depot at Sungei Seletar: What Was on This Land?

Recently, the government had announced that they will be building a bus depot close to Lentor Avenue.It is slated to be completed in 2017. The proposed site is where Lorong Kelopak and Track 24 were located. Lorong Kelopak was first seen in Singapore maps some time around 1969. Both the roads have now been expunged. But really, what was on this land?

I met Mr Chew, 71 who has set up a little shop at the back of his lorry. He was hammering away on metal sheets. He shared that he was making portable BBQ pits and he had in the past, made metallic household items such as metal containers and such. Mr Chew has set up his little business under the Seletar Expressway flyover. He has been there for more than 10 years and was able to provide me with nuggets of information about the place.


1. Illegal Distillery

Those were the days where people are willing to get high on a cheap and they did it through the illegal production of samsu. In 1976, there was a big alcohol bust where 670 litres of self-made alcohol was seized. The customs officers were not able to make any arrest. (1)


2. Chiap Seng Fishing Pond

This popular fishing pond was located at Track 24, Yio Chu Kang. (2) The company ran its own fishing competition as early as the 1950s. (3) The Serangoon Gardens Community Centre had also organised a fishing competition there. (4)

3. Dairy Farm

Mr Chew shared about the dairy farm in the vicinity and true to what he had shared, the largest dairy farm in Singapore was located there. Managed by the North Indian community called Biharis, they first brought over their livestock in the 1900s. The farm was located in Kampong Sungei Seletar. The farm finally saw its last "moo" as their lease of the land had run out. (5) 

4. Lower Seletar Reservoir

The reservoir, formerly known as Sungei Seletar Reservoir, was formed when the river was dammed in 1983. The cost of the dam came up to S$62 million (6) and was completed in 1985. (7) The final naming of the reservoir was given in 1992. (8)

Other than this river being the longest, it is also amongst the oldest place in Singapore where people lived at. I've written about the Orang Seletar community who were present even before the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles.


5. Indian Temple

Mr Chew said that there is an Indian temple located within the Army training area. He said that the Indian community would usually seek permission from the Army to visit that unmanned temple. 




References

1.Kutty, N. G. August 6, 1976. Customs smash jungle moonshiners. The Straits Times. Page 9.

2. Popular Fishing Pond. July 18, 1982. The Straits Times. Page 9.

3. The Straits Times. July 7, 1959. Advertisement. Page 11.

4. Fishing Competition. November 22, 1978. The Straits Times. Page 8.

5. Chew, Y. F. June 11, 1984. Singapore Cowboys. Singapore Monitor - Afternoon Edition. Page 4.

6. Toh, E. January 7, 1991. Loh & Loh clinches $38m land reclamation deal. The Straits Times. 

7. Reservoir ready. November 6, 1985. The Straits Times. Page 10.

8. Tay, S. C. July 23, 2011. Walk This Way. The Straits Times.