Channel NewsAsia 11 Mar 15;
SINGAPORE: To reduce the risk of flooding, drainage improvement projects will take place at 35 locations around Singapore this year, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
Similar projects have been completed at more than 190 locations around Singapore since 2012, he said at the Committee of Supply Debate on Wednesday (Mar 11). Works now ongoing at another 119 locations will be completed by 2018.
The construction of the Stamford Canal Detention Tank is expected to be ready by the middle of 2016, while the Stamford Diversion Canal is expected to be completed by the end of 2017. Together, the level of flood protection for the Stamford Canal catchment - which includes the Orchard Road area - will be enhanced significantly, he said.
The flood prone area in Singapore, at 34ha, is now just 1 per cent of the 3,200ha in the 1970s, Dr Balakrishnan said.
But he said it was impossible to rule out the possibility of floods entirely. “Despite our best efforts, our drains have a finite capacity. It is not possible to totally eliminate the possibility of floods during intense rain, especially in low lying areas. We therefore need to take steps to mitigate the impact of floods, and provide timely information and alerts to the public so that they can take necessary precautions.”
ABC WATERS PROGRAMME CREATES 'COMMUNITY SPACES'
Separately, Dr Balakrishnan said MEWR will be embarking on six new Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters projects this year, to create "blue community spaces that allow residents to own and enjoy pockets of Singapore’s water resources".
A total of 27 ABC Waters projects have been completed so far, including the recent Rochor Canal, which was officially opened last Sunday.
He revealed that another two projects at Sungei Api Api and Sungei Tampines are also scheduled to open later this month, while four other projects will be completed and opened to the public later this year. In 2016, ABC Waters projects may be implemented at Sungei Pinang and the canal along Hougang Ave 1, he said.
- CNA/xk
