▁departure , ▁he ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁his ▁plant ation ▁to ▁pay ▁off ▁his ▁deb ts ▁as ▁the ▁limited ▁import ▁privileges ▁given ▁to ▁sugar ▁produce ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁market ▁caused ▁the ▁sugar ▁industry ▁in ▁Singapore ▁to ▁decl ine . ▁ ▁Background ▁of ▁Bal est ier ▁Market ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁obtained ▁Bal est ier ' s ▁estate ▁and ▁le ased ▁a ▁portion ▁of ▁it ▁to ▁Chinese ▁far mers ▁while ▁another ▁segment ▁was ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁bur ial ▁area ▁for ▁patients ▁from ▁Tan ▁T ock ▁S eng ▁Hospital . ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁good ▁condition ▁of ▁the ▁soil ▁and ▁a ▁proper ▁ir rig ation ▁system ▁left ▁over ▁from ▁the ▁previous ▁plant ation , ▁the ▁new ▁residents ▁who ▁moved ▁into ▁Bal est ier ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁establish ▁their ▁villages ▁and ▁new ▁plant ations ▁such ▁as ▁t aro , ▁l ime ▁and ▁sugar c ane . ▁As ▁Bal est ier ▁became ▁more ▁re put able , ▁tr ades men ▁and ▁mer ch ants ▁started ▁to ▁emer ge , ▁operating ▁sh oph ouses ▁and ▁s elling ▁their ▁war es ▁along ▁the ▁main ▁road , ▁turning ▁Bal est ier ▁Road ▁into ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁bus iest ▁streets ▁in ▁Singapore . ▁ ▁The ▁rise ▁in ▁ha w k ers ▁present ▁in ▁Bal est ier ▁Road ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁side wal ks ▁constructed ▁for ▁ped est rian ▁being ▁transformed ▁into ▁a ▁makes h ift ▁market ▁s elling ▁veget ables , ▁f ruits , ▁cook ed ▁food ▁and ▁be ver ages . ▁The ▁ha w k ers ▁and ▁their ▁customers ▁sp illed ▁over