light to the appeals and opened a small side gate pavement for the public to access the spring. During that same year, a series of scalding cases, including an incident in which a senior citizen diabetic lost six toes to gangrene after soaking in the hot spring, prompted the Singapore General Hospital to warn that people with nerve disorders or diseases affecting blood circulation should be cautious to hot mineral springs. As a result of some negative rumors and hearsay, and the RSAF redevelopment, public interest began to wane and the number of visitors dwindled. Prior to 2018 During its peak, up to 300 people visited the hot spring daily. On 1 March 2002, it was closed for two months while upgrading and improvement works were carried out to the area around the spring, which had become sodden and muddy. Littering had also become a problem because of the increased numbers of visitors. The former dirt track leading to the spring was paved with cement, and lined with bougainvillea bushes and high fences to ensure the security of the air base. Drainage pipes were also installed. Mindef, which owns the land, allows public access between 7 am and 7 pm daily, free-of-charge. When the spring reopened on 1 May 2002, more than 100 people visited the site despite the afternoon drizzle. At the same time, some new free-hold condominiums were built in the surrounding area; one of the developments, built by the property arm of F&N in 2001, is called Seletaris, named after the company's former mineral water. In July 2005, a Business Times reader proposed that the authorities should explore the possibility of tapping the geothermal heat that lies many miles under Sembawang—similar to the project in South Australia's Cooper Basin—in order to aid Singapore's reliance on oil and gas. The proposal was not acted upon. As of 2014, the well can still be seen locked inside a red-brick enclosure with a steel gate, and its geothermal heat can be felt outside the building. Some plastic chairs, pails and mini-tubs kindly donated by visitors are stored at the perimeter of the compound, which has a makeshift shed in one corner. A caretaker, paid for by Mindef, takes care of the place to maintain its overall cleanliness, but there is no toilet on location. The hot spring is less frequented nowadays and remains rustic. Redevelopment by the National Parks Board