PUB calling for tender to build fruit-themed wetland

Channel NewsAsia 24 Dec 07;

SINGAPORE: The PUB is now calling for tenders to build a fruit-themed wetland in Sengkang.

It is also Singapore's first man-built floating wetland.

The project is expected to start construction next year and will be completed by mid-2009.

This island will be located in the middle of the new Punggol Reservoir as one of the projects under the water agency's Active, Beautiful and Clean Waters Programme.

Such projects are aimed at beautifying Singapore's canals, drains and reservoirs.

Other similar projects in Bedok and and Kolam Ayer are also expected to be completed by the end of this year.- CNA/so

Punggol to get fruit-themed 'island'
Tham Yuen-C, Straits Times 25 Dec 07;

TAKE a stroll along Punggol Reservoir three years from now, and you will see a fruit-themed 'island'.

Singapore's first floating wetlands - to showcase the natural habitat of fish and birds - will also have a giant mangosteen pavilion, lime-shaped seats and orange-shaped windows.

The artificial island will float in the middle of the reservoir.

The project, dubbed the Sengkang Floating Island, is one of more than 20 initiatives under the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters programme. The programme aims to convert Singapore's drainage and water supply infrastructure, such as drains, canals and reservoirs, into a scenic network of streams, rivers and lakes where people can row boats and even commute.

When completed in 2010, the floating park - about half the size of a football field - will be accessible by a foot bridge and floating boardwalk.

The foot bridge will be elevated so kayakers can row beneath it, while the floating boardwalk will skim the water's surface, allowing visitors to get closer to the water.

The PUB called for a public tender for the project yesterday.

'By bringing water and people together, we hope to inspire and motivate everyone to take care of our precious water resource by using it wisely and keeping it clean,' said Mr Tan Nguan Sen, PUB's director of catchment and waterways.

There are 14 reservoirs, 32 major rivers and more than 7,000 km of canals and drains here.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong outlined Singapore's vision of a city of gardens and water.