Heavy Rain Near Pasir Ris Caused Mini Landslide That Broke Drain Railings

By
Shawn Ambrose
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If you’ve been taking more naps than usual lately, you’re not the only one.

It’s been raining cats, dogs, and mice in Singapore recently, with heavy downpours in the last few days raining on residents’ parade.

It’s was a rather wet and cool start to the new year, with temperatures dipping below 22°C in some parts of Singapore on Friday morning (1 Jan).

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Heavy rain in some parts of the island also prompted the authorities to issue flash flood warnings at five locations in the afternoon.

Now, these heavy downpours have done more than just put a damper on our outdoor plans.

Heavy Rain Near Pasir Ris Caused Mini Landslide That Broke Drain Railings

Heavy rains in Pasir Ris have led to the destruction of some drain railings in the area, after a mini landslide forced the railings off their posts.

A video of the incident was uploaded to Facebook on 2 Jan 2021.

The video shows a large patch of grass that has been eroded by the downpour, as a mass of mud and grass has fallen down to the longkang below.

Image: Facebook (Nature Society (Singapore))

Due to the sheer force of the landslide, a few drain railings at the bottom of the grass patch have bent over, as they were unable to withstand the onrushing mud, grass, and water.

One drain railing in the video starts to bend just as the netizen starts filming, and is on the verge of breaking as the video ends.

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Image: Facebook (Nature Society (Singapore))
Image: Facebook (Nature Society (Singapore))

Though it’s hard to tell, it looks like around 6 of these drain railings have bent over and broken due to the landslide.

According to Mothership, the footage was shot beside the slip road connecting Tampines Expressway to Loyang Avenue.

Construction works have been going on in the area for some time, but it’s unknown if it contributed to the mini landslide.

Deforestation to Blame?

One commenter explained that deforestation – the permanent removal of trees – could be to blame.

“This is the result of cutting down big old trees with roots holding the earth together,” he said.

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While it’s unknown if trees were cleared in that area, this netizen is certainly right about the dangers of deforestation.

According to the Seattle Times, tree removal could increase soil water by up to 20 to 35%.

This could cause erosion and even lead to a landslide.

See, forests create a canopy of foliage high up in the air to help dissipate rainfall over large areas, according to The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

So, anytime large amounts of vegetation are removed from an area, the root systems eventually die off, leaving the soil vulnerable to over-saturation.

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It’s unknown if other drain railings in the country have suffered a similar fate.

In any case, the wet weather is expected to continue over the next few days, so do remember to grab an umbrella or poncho before you head out.

Featured Image: Facebook (Nature Society (Singapore))

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]