Outdoor fogging ineffective, hurts wildlife

I was appalled to see the Lorong Halus Wetland nature area being fogged recently when I was there.

Fogging is extremely destructive to all forms of wildlife. It kills all insects, worms and fishes, the very organisms that migratory birds, which are now visiting Singapore, depend upon for food.

If such fogging continues, Singapore will never be able to create nature areas that can be recognised as internationally significant.

The Lorong Halus Wetland was, for the decades before it gained official recognition, a favourite hang-out of knowledgeable birdwatchers who knew it as the home of many rare species.

Recently combined with the Punggol Waterway and Coney Island, these areas together make up a green lung that has the potential to match or even surpass the world-famous bird sanctuary in Sungei Buloh.

The area has become popular with hikers, fitness enthusiasts and many others who just want to enjoy strolling in natural surroundings.

The combined area is also part of our national reservoir system.

It is unimaginable that people would like pesticides in their drinking water.

In any case, outdoor fogging is ineffective as a means of controlling dengue, which is caused primarily by the Aedes mosquito, which breeds in human habitations.

Those in charge must stop such indiscriminate use of pesticides.

They kill not only insects but higher forms of life as well.

Lee Chiu San

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