Over 52ha of forest, streams to be developed for next phase of Jurong Innovation District
SINGAPORE — More than 52ha of forested land and streams near Nanyang Technological University is slated to be cleared for the expansion of an industrial district in Jurong.JTC Corporation said on Dec 1 that the clearance is for the development of the CleanTech Park and Bahar precincts of the 620ha Jurong Innovation District, a five-precinct advanced manufacturing hub that is being progressively built since 2019.The 116ha project site for the CleanTech Park, which will be Singapore's first eco-business park, and Bahar is located along Jalan Bahar, near the PIE intersection.Larger than Thomson Nature Park, the forested area comprises a mix of mature forest patches, vegetation that has recolonised abandoned kampungs and plantations, as well as forest streams, a rare habitat here that cannot be easily re-created.A total of 56 flora and fauna species significant for conservation are expected to be affected, including the heavily trafficked Sunda pangolin and the harlequin butterfly, a reddish brown insect adorned with silver spots on the brink of extinction in Singapore.