First Station Viewing Deck

At our first station of the Lower Seletar Reservoir Learning Trail, we gained much insight upon the reservoir’s history. It was once known as Srí Lohíta (meaning straits). In the 19th century, people used to grow crops (such as pineapple and rubber) and trade for tobacco and kerosene along the water body, which was much smaller in the olden days. There were rural settlements there, with villagers growing crops as their livelihood. In the 1920’s, LSR, which was then called Seletar Reservoir, was built to support Singapore’s growing population and industrialisation. In 1969, its capacity expanded greatly.

Now, there are urban settlements (Yishun Town) located nearby, high-rise buildings have replaced the old huts of yester year. The place has changed greatly due to urbanization and industrialisation. The low population density, basic amenities and the linear settlements (near water bodies) of the previous village are a stark contrast to the high population densities and wide range of amenities (such as huge shopping malls) and nucleated settlements today. Instead of pathways, transportation services like MRT, buses and taxis could be seen. However, some things have remained the same. For example, people still go fishing in the reservoir, albeit for different purposes. Canoes are still used to transverse across the water body. The water body, despite having been expanded, is still present. Once, people traded on boats there, but now it is here to supply water for our country’s population. Lastly, we should treasure our easy access to clean, drinkable water.