Channel NewsAsia 1 Dec 07;
SINGAPORE: The PUB wants to work with the community to beautify and maintain Singapore's pristine waters through the ABC Waters project.
The Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters project will involve all 32 major rivers, more than 7,000 kilometres of canals and drains and 17 reservoirs by 2009. Launched in April this year, the project was piloted at three locations - Kolam Ayer, Bedok Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir.
More than just shoring up river and canal banks or providing clean water,
the PUB wants to find out what residents want.
On Saturday, the PUB held the first community workshop on the project, engaging residents at Kolam Ayer.
As part of their plans, Kolam Ayer residents want to enjoy concerts and watersports on their stretch of the Kallang River.
"My wishlist for Kolam Ayer is to have a place where people can enjoy and de-stress themselves....have some time to enjoy the sun and the sea," said a resident.
The Kolam Ayer project will be completed by March next year.
While Singaporeans can expect beautiful waterfront facilities, they must also exercise responsibility over them.
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Environment and Water Resources Minister, said: "It is not sustainable for the Ministry, or the PUB, or NEA to do everything that we want to do. We have to get community participation and ownership. As we open up our waterways, we beautify them, it's not something that we just go, have fun and go back. You must feel that you are part of it." - CNA/ir
