PUB working to prevent floods in low-lying areas in eastern Singapore

Leong Wai Kit Channel NewsAsia 30 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE: The authorities are looking into ways to prevent flooding in low-lying areas in eastern Singapore.

On his Facebook page, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC, said that he has asked national water agency PUB to look at areas such as Kembangan, Telok Kurau and Siglap.

His comments came as intense rain on Wednesday caused flooding in eastern Singapore, with reports of Chai Chee being the most affected.

PUB said it will bring forward drainage improvement works at the junction of New Upper Changi Road and Chai Chee Road from the last quarter of next year to mid-2014.

It added that it had installed a pump to transfer some of the water to the downstream drain across New Upper Changi Road. Another pump will be installed by this week.

In addition, the depressed section of Chai Chee Road will be raised and work will start in November.

At about 1pm on Wednesday, the junction of Chai Chee Road and New Upper Changi Road was flooded after a torrential downpour.

Faisal Suptu, a resident in Chai Chee, said: "There were two vehicles stalled and they had to be towed away. The police have to be called in just to direct the traffic."

"There are two contract workers to ensure that the drain covers are open to allow water to quickly flow and allow flood to subside. A few cars stalled and can't move from Chai Chee Road. The rain kept getting heavier, and soon the flood level rose," he added.

This was not the first time the area has been flooded. In April this year, the area was also hit by floods.

"When I was younger, flooding wasn't that often so it seems a novelty… but as an adult, when this happens, it just upsets your work schedule," said Faisal, who has been living in the area for 20 years.

On his Facebook post, Mr Tan said that flooding can get quite bad at the Chai Chee Road and New Upper Changi Road junction when there is intense rain.

He has talked to PUB and the Land Transport Authority to see what else can be done to deal with the issue.

Elsewhere, flood prevention measures have been put in place. At Liat Towers along Orchard Road, barriers have been set up, and over at Bukit Timah, shop owners rely on an informal network to help each other out.

The National Environment Agency said thundery showers in the afternoon are expected in the next three days.

- CNA/fa

Moves to cut flood risk in Chai Chee stepped up
Woo Sian Boon and Tiara Hamarian Today Online 31 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — Immediate measures are being taken to reduce the flood risk at the junction of New Upper Changi Road and Chai Chee Road, hit yesterday by the second flash flood in three days which brought traffic to a standstill for about 20 minutes.

National water agency PUB said a pump to move some water to the downstream drain across New Upper Changi Road had been installed as an immediate measure to reduce flood risk, while another pump would be installed by the end of this week. Work will also start next month to raise the depressed section of Chai Chee Road.

The PUB added that drainage-improvement work it had earlier scheduled for the junction would be carried out in the middle of next year, instead of commencing at the end of 2014.

The heavy downpour yesterday also prompted a nearby school to warn parents about their children’s safety. Mdm Fatimah Beevi, whose son is a Primary 6 pupil at Opera Estate Primary School, yesterday received a text message from the school stating that it would dismiss pupils only after the rain had subsided. The school also allowed parents who were not driving to wait inside the compound for their children.

“It is the first time I have received such a message from the school regarding the heavy rain. Other times, (they are) just reminders about school holidays or extra activities,” she said.

Hawkers and stallholders at Marine Parade Market and Food Centre had to contend with ankle-high water flowing out of covered drains during the worst of the downpour yesterday — something that happens during heavy rain.

Said noodle-seller GY Liu, 50: “In the seven months since I’ve moved here, it has flooded three times, which has affected business badly. Customers, such as office ladies, won’t want to step in and get their shoes ruined.”

Customers at another coffee shop around the corner were also stuck for about two hours when the floods flowed into the premises. Said Mr Steven Ong, 51, who sells fish soup: “For about two hours, we had no customers.”

Shopkeepers in the nearby Changi Road area are bracing themselves for the coming north-east monsoon, which the authorities have warned will bring more intense and heavier rainfall this year. Since the area was hit badly by floods in 2010, business owners have taken various measures to prevent their goods from getting soaked, such as placing items on raised shelves or wooden pallets. Others have placed acrylic boards near doors to slow down the flow of flood water.

Said carpet-shop owner Kazem Fadakar, 49: “From now till February is the most dangerous time. I’ve been having sleepless nights worrying (about my shop). When it rained heavily the other night, I even took a taxi down just to make sure it’s not flooded, but what can I do? The waters rise so quickly, I only have five minutes to move everything, which is not possible because my carpets are so heavy.”

There was also concern that business would be affected if flooding continues. Said Operations Manager Doreen Tay of Bagus La Mian and Yong Tau Fu: “If the situation gets worse and it floods, we’ll have to close because we have a responsibility (to) our workers and customers — it can be dangerous if they slip and fall.”

PUB lays out plans to reduce flood risk at New Upper Changi Road
Today Online 30 Oct 13;

SINGAPORE — More immediate measures are being taken to reduce the flood risk at the junction of New Upper Changi Road and Chai Chee Road, which was hit by a flash flood earlier today (Oct 30) – the second in three days.

PUB said another pump will be installed in the area by this week to transfer water to the downstream drain across New Upper Changi Road. There is already one pump there. The depressed section of Chai Chee Road will also be raised and work will start next month.

PUB said it had earlier scheduled drainage improvement works at this junction in the fourth quarter of next year. This has been brought forward to the middle of next year.

Heavy showers had resulted in a few flash floods in eastern Singapore this afternoon, with Bedok and Chai Chee the most affected.

The junction of New Upper Changi Road and Chai Chee Road was not passable to traffic at about 1pm. Flood waters subsided within 20 minutes, said PUB.

Writing in a Facebook post, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said he is in discussions with PUB and the Land Transport Authority to “see what else can be done to deal with the flood issue” at the junction of New Upper Changi Road and Chai Chee Road.

“It’s quite bad when there is intense rain,” said the Marine Parade GRC Member of Parliament, adding that he will “try and address this issues or to at least ameliorate the effects”.

“I have asked PUB to widen and deepen drains in some stretches of Kembangan estate so that there will be a larger ‘receptacle’ in those areas that are low-lying. This is ongoing,” added Mr Tan.

“Works will be done in the Telok Kurau area as part of the improvement to the Siglap Canal drainage, but this will take some time,” he also wrote.

Flash floods hit two eastern areas again
Audrey Tan And Bryna Singh Straits Times 31 Oct 13;

FLASH floods hit two areas in eastern Singapore for the second time this week, owing to the heavy rainfall yesterday afternoon.

The same junction between Chai Chee and New Upper Changi roads, as well as Marine Parade Market and Food Centre a 10-minute drive away, were under water, as they were on Monday afternoon.

Traffic and businesses in both locations were affected, with water levels at the Chai Chee junction swelling to a point where "traffic (was) not passable", said national water agency PUB on Twitter. PUB said flooding started at about 12.54pm, and subsided after 20 minutes.

Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, an MP for Marine Parade GRC, said on Facebook that talks are ongoing with PUB and the Land Transport Authority "to deal with the flooding issue". He added: "It's quite bad when there is intense rain."

Hawker Zheng Ji, 54, agreed, saying that the junction has been flooded at least 10 times over the past three years.

PUB said in a statement that drainage improvement works at the junction will be brought forward to mid-next year instead of the fourth quarter.

Another pump will also be installed this week to aid the one transferring water to the drain across New Upper Changi Road.

"In addition, the depressed section of Chai Chee Road will be raised and work will start in November," PUB said.

Figures from PUB show that total rainfall of 54mm was recorded at Ping Yi Secondary School in Chai Chee from 12.30pm to 1.30pm, of which 48mm was recorded from 12.30pm to 1pm.

Marine Parade Market and Food Centre also reeked of a foul smell when its toilets overflowed and dirty water mixed with the floodwaters. Hawkers and stallholders, seen working in 10cm- deep rainwater, said business has been hit by the floods.

"Once the place is flooded, no customer wants to come," said hawker Tan Ah Guan, 62, who owns Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow.

Hawkers said toilet drainage has been a problem for the past few years, and the problem is exacerbated when it rains heavily.

Some patrons said water levels in the toilet bowls can near the brim, making the toilets almost impossible to flush. "We call the authorities a few times a week, and we've closed our stalls before for them to unclog the pipes, but it hasn't improved," said a hawker who asked to be known only as Mr Lee, 52.

In a statement, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said that as of 7.30pm yesterday, total rainfall over Marine Parade Road was 66.2mm.

With more rainy days ahead, wet market stallholders are getting worried too. "When it rains in the afternoon, our business is not so affected. But if the place floods in the morning, it'll be bad for us," said pork seller Koh Sweet Huat, 58.

The MSS said on Monday that total rainfall this December and January could be 10 per cent to 20 per cent above average.

A spokesman for Marine Parade Town Council told The Straits Times it was aware of the situation. He said the market and food centre closed for a month late last year for repair and redecoration works, and a section of the sewer was repaired.

He said the town council has identified several external factors causing the flooding and is working with stakeholders, including PUB, the National Environment Agency, Marine Parade Merchants' Association and hawker representatives on the matter.

"Our town council has carried out CCTV inspection of all the sewer lines recently and will be carrying out repair works," said the spokesman.