Prevention of Flooding in Sennett Estate

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what measures the PUB will be taking to prevent flooding in Sennett Estate in light of the expected increase in rainfall.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: Sennett Estate is located on low-lying ground and subjected to flash floods during heavy rain. The area last experienced flooding on 5 June 2011, where parts of Siang Kuang Avenue, Jalan Kemboja and Puay Hee Avenue were flooded during heavy rain.

Sennett Estate is served by the MacPherson Road Outlet Drain. PUB has completed works in September 2011 to widen and deepen this stormwater drain. As a result, rainwater can be better channelled out of the estate in the event of heavy rain, thus reducing the flood risk within Sennett Estate. In addition, there are also ongoing drainage improvement works on roadside drains at Jalan Kemboja, Mulberry Avenue, Jalan Wangi and back lane drains around Siang Kuang Avenue to further improve overall drainage for the area. The works are expected to be completed by the end of 2012. PUB has worked with residents to gather feedback to enhance the localised drainage within the estate. Some of the suggestions to improve the drainage flow were subsequently integrated into current drainage improvement works.

Notwithstanding these efforts, the low-lying nature of the estate means flooding may continue to occur in the event of unusually heavy rain. The long-term solution to achieve a higher level of flood protection in the estate would be to raise the ground and road levels in conjunction with future redevelopment plans. Units in the estate that were recently re-developed have also adopted higher platform levels to improve the flood protection for these units.

In the meantime, to prevent floodwaters from entering residents' homes, PUB has installed flood boards and supplied sand bags for affected residents. The drains in the estate are also regularly cleansed and inspected to ensure that the drainage system remains clear of debris and is in good working condition.

PUB has arranged for liaison officers whom the residents could contact for assistance. Residents can subscribe to SMS alerts for heavy rain and water level information via PUB's website ( www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods ) for advance warning on the water levels during heavy rain. Ahead of the upcoming Northeast Monsoon season, PUB has also disseminated flood warning advisories to at-risk residents in Siang Kuang and Puay Hee Avenue.

Evidence from NEA Meteorological Services Singapore (MSS) has shown that the maximum rainfall intensities in Singapore have increased in the last 30 years. Apart from enhancing the drainage design standards to cater for more intense rainfall, PUB will also enhance its modelling and predictive capabilities to enable the drainage system to be adaptive for potential changes in rainfall intensities. I would like to assure Mr Sitoh that PUB takes a serious view of floods, and PUB will continuously work with stakeholders in flood prone areas and flooding hotspots to protect residents and properties from flooding.

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