Six buildings in talks with PUB on floods

Meeting held to discuss fortifications and drainage in Orchard Road area
Daryl Chin Straits Times 10 Jun 11;

NATIONAL water agency PUB is working with six affected buildings in the Orchard Road area to reduce the chances of flooding.

This was revealed by Mr George Madhavan, director of the 3P Network at the PUB, after a 90-minute discussion between the PUB and members of the Orchard Road Business Association (Orba) yesterday. The closed-door event was held in Traders Hotel, itself affected by the recent flooding which caused thousands of dollars worth of damage.

About 50 people turned up, including staff from the Singapore Tourism Board.

Mr Madhavan said the PUB is working with six buildings - Orchard Parade Hotel, Delfi Orchard, Orchard Towers, Forum Galleria, St Regis and Tanglin Mall - on short-term solutions, besides studying other suggestions thrown up, including setting up a park in Orchard Road.

PUB officers will advise and identify areas which need fortification, and also locations at which to place flood barriers and raised crests or road humps to prevent water from entering carparks.

The cost will be borne by the building owners.

Other measures include upgrading the drainage system at the junction of Cuscaden and Tomlinson roads. Work began last month.

'In the mid-term, we will look at detention ponds to study their feasibility, and longer term, perhaps a diversion canal to move some of the water from the Stamford catchment away from Orchard Road,' said Mr Madhavan.

A detention pond is a large container designed to hold storm water. One example he cited was the large underground holding tank complete with pump under a school field in Siglap.

Orba's executive director Steven Goh called the meeting 'cordial' and appreciated the PUB's efforts in explaining how the floods came about.

He had suggested building a park on a 20,000 sq m piece of land behind Ngee Ann City, along Orchard Turn. This would serve as a green communal space and store excess storm water to channel it back to the main drainage arteries.

Another suggestion is to use building basements to store water.

Calling them both good ideas, Mr Madhavan said the PUB would work hard to find the most cost-efficient and optimal solution, although no timeline was given.

Experts The Straits Times spoke to also offered their input.

Associate Professor Tan Soon Keat from Nanyang Technological University's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering said underground building facilities in town might be costly and a poor use of land.

'It is better to locate the facilities further away from the town centre where pumping and piping costs may increase, but should be marginal compared to the overall cost,' he said.

Still, the session with PUB is a step in the right direction, said Mr Goh, who added: 'We are very concerned... but having this dialogue at least means there's an open channel for communication.'

PUB to study ideas raised to cope with floods in Orchard Road
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Channel NewsAsia 9 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB says it will study the Orchard Road Business Association's (ORBA) proposal for an underground tank to quell floods along along Singapore's prime shopping belt.

But as an immediate step, it will work with affected building owners to boost their flood prevention measures.

This was disclosed at a closed-door meeting on Thursday between PUB and the ORBA at Trader's Hotel, one of the places along Orchard Road that was also affected by the floods last Sunday.

It's understood that about 50 people including representatives from PUB, Singapore Tourism board and affected shopping malls turned up for the meeting.

ORBA has said that it is disappointed with PUB and wants long-term solutions to tackle the flood woes.

PUB described the meeting as "very useful", with many ideas exchanged during the session.

And the proposal for an empty plot of land in the precinct to be used as a green space - with an underground tank to hold excess rainwater - was discussed.

PUB said it would also look into suggestions to place water "holding tanks" in the basement of buildings.

"That's a very good idea, and we actually have been thinking of using retention ponds. So it's an idea that we will take back and study very carefully. Basically, we want to find an optimal solution to improving the flood protection to Orchard Road," said George Madhavan, PUB's director for 3P Network Department.

For now, PUB will lend its expertise to six building owners including Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences - which were badly affected by last Sunday's floods - to build "crests".

"Crests are actually just road humps that will prevent water from flowing into carparks. So they are not too difficult to construct. It can be done quite quickly," said Mr George Madhavan.

PUB also said it is studying the idea of building a diversion canal from Stamford Canal to ease flood woes along the shopping belt.

The association felt that the meeting was cordial and that PUB was forthcoming in its explanations.

"There are still a lot of questions that cannot be answered because some of them of long-terms issues. We still want to know what is PUB's long-term plan to address the flood problem because it seems like no one can guarantee that the flood will not happen again," said Steven Goh, executive director of Orchard Road Business Association.

- CNA/ir

PUB to study underground tank proposal to curb flooding in Orchard
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid Today Online 10 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE - National water agency PUB said yesterday it will study the Orchard Road Business Association's (ORBA) proposal of an underground tank to prevent floods hitting the shopping belt.

But as an immediate step, it will work with affected building owners to boost their flood prevention measures.

The meeting between PUB and the association yesterday took place at Traders Hotel, which is located in an area near Orchard Road, which was affected by the floods last Sunday.

MediaCorp was not allowed to film the session but it is understood that about 50 people including representatives from the PUB, the Singapore Tourism Board and the affected shopping malls turned up for the meeting.

The ORBA has said that it was disappointed with the PUB and wants long-term solutions to tackle the flooding.

The PUB described the meeting as "very useful" and that many ideas were exchanged during the session.

The agency is studying the idea of building a diversion canal from Stamford Canal to ease flood woes along the shopping belt.

The ORBA's proposal for an empty plot of land in the precinct to be used as a green space - with an underground tank to hold excess rainwater, was also discussed, and the PUB will be looking into suggestions to place water "holding tanks" in the basements of buildings.

Said PUB's director of its 3P Network Department, Mr George Madhavan: "We have been thinking of using retention ponds so it's an idea that we will take back and study very carefully. Basically, we want to find an optimal solution to improving flood protection on Orchard Road."

For now, PUB will lend its expertise to six building owners including Tanglin Mall and St Regis Residences, which were badly hit by Sunday's floods, to build "crests" - road humps that will prevent water from flowing into carparks.

The PUB said a suggestion by the ORBA to build a green space like New York's Bryant Park is also a good idea.

If approved, the space will have an underground water tank that absorbs and stores excess water while doubling up as a venue for outdoor events.

The proposed site is a 20,000 sq m piece of state land behind Ngee Ann City.

The ORBA said that the meeting was cordial and that the PUB was forthcoming in its explanations, but a lot of questions could not be answered, as they concerned long-term issues.

"We still want to know what is PUB's long term plan to address the flood problem because it seems like no one can guarantee that the flood will not happen again," said the ORBA executive director Steven Goh.

The ORBA will continue to pursue its proposals. "Perhaps it is beyond PUB and their issue involves planning, involves land issue and so on and so forth.

"So I think it is a multi-agency effort and as the ORBA we will work with the Singapore Tourism Board as our key partner to address some of our wish list and wants with them," said Mr Goh.

14 spots in flood-prone areas to get safety railings
Daryl Chin and Sia Ling Xin Straits Times 10 Jun 11;

FOURTEEN locations in flood-prone areas have been identified for safety railings to be installed after a 15-year-old Indonesian boy fell into a drain and drowned last week.

National water agency PUB, which reviewed all the drains in flood-prone areas after the incident, said yesterday that 1.6km of railings have since been put up.

The 14 spots include Sixth Avenue, Thomson Road, Commonwealth Lane, Hillview Road, Marsiling Drive and Mandalay Road.

Most residents in these areas whom The Straits Times spoke to lauded the PUB initiative though a few felt more should have been done earlier.

They noted that the railings would be of use outside flood situations too.

Housewife Lee Sin Choo, 44, a Commonwealth Lane resident, said the railings give her a sense of security and are 'definitely a good investment'.

'We are always hearing stories about old folks, kids or drunk teenagers falling into drains and injuring themselves. I believe these railings will help prevent future mishaps, so the money is well spent,' she said.

Similarly, undergraduate Ong Jiaqi, 23, who lives in Hillview Road, said: 'There are many children in the area so I think it is good that we have these railings.

'They will come in useful not only when there is wet weather, but also in other daily situations such as when it is dark at night and one may slip, fall and hurt oneself.'

She added that the railings should have been set up from the beginning 'but I am glad that the Government is at least taking action now'.

Businessman Richard Tan, 54, who lives in Sixth Avenue, is impressed by the speed with which the project was embarked on. 'It is good that the Government took action this time and worked so quickly to get the railings up,' he said.

His wish is for the railings to be put up islandwide as soon as possible, and not just in flood-prone areas, as 'we can never predict when or where the next unfortunate accident may happen'.

DARYL CHIN, SIA LING XIN

Four lauded for flood bravery
Reporter carried woman on his back, three others saved teen from falling into drain
Goh Kai Shi Straits Times 10 Jun 11;

WHEN Lianhe Wanbao journalist Wilson Sim saw an elderly woman looking fearfully at the rapidly moving water in front of her during the thunderstorm on Sunday, he acted on instinct.

He walked over to her and piggybacked her to dry ground.

Yesterday, Mr Sim, 27, received a Public Spiritedness Award from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for helping others during the Big Flood.

He was reporting on the flood near Coronation Plaza in Bukit Timah around 9am when he saw an elderly couple.

The woman had a bandage on her right leg which she had wrapped in a plastic bag to prevent it from getting wet. Her husband was struggling to support her and hold up an umbrella.

Fearing for their safety, Mr Sim waded over and convinced her to climb onto his back. He carried her for about 20m before setting her down near a bus stop in front of Coronation Plaza.

'I was afraid she would be washed away by the flood waters just as her right slipper had,' said Mr Sim, who has been a reporter for two years. 'I'm definitely heavier than her and less likely to (be washed away).'

Lieutenant-Colonel Ling Kok Yong, commander of the 1st Civil Defence Division, commended him for helping the couple.

The SCDF also recognised three others for courageous or outstanding deeds.

Security guards William Chung, 43, and Lee Kok Hwa, 57, and Mr Tan Chor Seng, 49, a cleaning supervisor, were recognised for saving student Rieyan Tan, 15, on June 1, during another thunderstorm.

The three men were in the lobby of ParkwayHealth Day Surgery and Medical Centre in Balestier Road when they saw Rieyan running barefoot along the drain there.

Moments earlier, Rieyan's friend, Indonesian tourist William Lim, 15, had been swept away after he had walked into a swollen drain at the junction of Minbu Road and Mandalay Road.

Rieyan ran after his friend as he was washed down the drain.

Sensing something amiss, the three men gave chase when they saw Rieyan start to climb into the drain.

'He was yelling for us to help him because his friend had fallen in,' said Mr Chung. 'He seemed to be confused and in shock.'

Mr Tan started removing his shoes and was prepared to jump in, but Mr Chung told him he might be swept away by the rapid currents.

The two men then grabbed hold of Rieyan's arms while Mr Lee ran ahead to look for William.

When the two men realised they could not hold on to Rieyan much longer, they tried to persuade him to give up. He reluctantly agreed and they pulled him to safety.

'It was as if he woke up from shock after he got out of the water and saw how dangerous the situation was,' said Mr Tan. William's body was later found in a waterway near Whampoa Drive.

Lt-Col Ling praised the men for their 'quick thinking and quick response'.