In 1977, Singapore embarked on a decade-long mission to rejuvenate the heavily polluted Singapore River. This project was helmed by the Public Work Department and the Public Utilities Board. Once a bustling artery of trade, the river had become choked with waste from industries, squatters, and hawkers. A key focus of the cleanup was the removal of derelict tongkangs that had been abandoned or sunk along the riverbanks.
