Letter from Phang Long Yew Today Online 23 May 12;
PUNGGOL, as Singapore's newest township, has seen tremendous yet sustainable development over the last 15 years.
The new My Waterway @ Punggol recently won the American Academy of Environmental Engineers' Grand Prize for Excellence in Environmental Engineering in the environmental sustainability category.
With more housing and infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities being built, though, the path along the waterway could possibly be damaged by parties such as contractors, developers, site staff and workers as well as heavy equipment.
The construction site barricades are too close to the waterway's jogging and cycling track, posing a safety issue and affecting the plants. Another potential issue is site run-off towards the waterway during heavy rain.
Finally, I would ask the National Parks Board if it has a dedicated team or designated contractor for flora maintenance along the 4.2-km waterway. I have seen a few slanted trees, which might pose a hazard.
The frequency of visits by NParks contractors should be increased and adjusted depending on the condition of the trees, as well as the litterbug situation, for while it is heartening that the waterway is popular, with the crowds come litter and vandalism.
Public awareness of the importance of keeping the waterway clean, green and sustainable could be enhanced.
Graffiti near Punggol waterfront
Letter from Giridhari Ramamoorthy
Today Online 23 May 23;
The Government takes a strong stance against vandalism, which is why many walls in Singapore are graffiti-free. But on a recent evening stroll, I found three cases of graffiti along the bridge connecting Punggol town to Punggol Point.
The enforcement agencies cannot be everywhere all the time, so perhaps they should clean up the graffiti as soon as possible, so that we do not get more works of graffiti, and put up warning notices to stop these acts.
Graffiti painted over: HDB
by From Chua Kok Eng Director (Infrastructure & Reclamation), HDB
Today Online 29 May 12;
We thank Mr Giridhari Ramamoorthy for the letter "Graffiti near Punggol waterfront" (May 23). HDB came to know of the graffiti on May 14 and immediately carried out repainting work, which was completed on May 16.
We take this opportunity to seek the cooperation of residents and visitors in taking care of our common property, for the benefit of everyone.
Any act of vandalism should be reported to the police.
Measures in place at Punggol Waterway
From Gan Kim Hong Acting Director (Development & Construction Productivity), Housing & Development Board and Kartini Omar General Manager, Parks, National Parks Board
Today Online 6 Jun 12;
We refer to Mr Phang Long Yew's letter "Maintenance challenge at Punggol waterway" (May 23).
The Housing and Development Board has several building projects along Punggol Waterway. The safety of park users is a primary concern.
Our contractors have installed hoardings to barricade the construction sites, with warning lights and signs placed at critical locations.
The hoardings were designed and installed by professional engineers to ensure that they are stable and safe, and are maintained regularly by our contractors.
All HDB construction sites are required to have earth control measures, which prevent muddy water from flowing from the sites into the waterway. These measures are implemented prior to construction work.
Daily maintenance ensures that only clean, treated water is discharged from the sites.
The National Parks Board is working closely with the HDB to maintain the flora along Punggol Waterway. The "slanted trees" have been inspected and do not pose a danger to visitors.
We urge park users to dispose of litter properly so that our park connectors can be kept clean for all to enjoy.
