Measures taken to clean up Punggol Marina litter

JUDITH TAN The New Paper 4 Feb 16;

A permanent drain to channel rainwater runoff from the Marina Country Club (MCC) in Punggol into the sea will be built.

A vertical grating will also be installed at its mouth to prevent litter from the sea from entering the drain.

These changes came a week after The New Paper published an report on Jan 28 on how the waters near and in the marina were contaminated with litter.

MCC is located in Northshore Drive near Punggol Way and near the mouth of Sungei Punggol in the north-east of Singapore.

Announcing the changes in a joint statement yesterday, the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), Public Utilities Board (PUB) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the existing temporary drain bordering the club will be backfilled.

MPA is currently deploying craft to retrieve garbage and flotsam daily to ensure that the port waters are clean and safe for vessels to navigate through.

The agency will also more frequently clean the flotsam that is brought in by the tide, as well as ensure that the owners of waterfront properties rid their own areas of flotsam and debris.

MCC's general manager Derrick Ong had told TNP in the Jan 28 report that the litter problem started when Punggol Dam, located near the club, was built in 2011.

The dam was constructed to turn the estuary of Sungei Punggol into a reservoir and allow excess water from it to be discharged into the sea to prevent flooding.

SLA, PUB and MPA said they are working closely together to address the issue of litter at the area where MCC is located and "will continue to work together to closely monitor the condition of the temporary drain and ensure its cleanliness".

Mr Ong told TNP yesterday that he is glad the authorities are doing something to help clean the waters.