TANJONG KATONG ROAD (Flood alleviation)

Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for Law and National Development whether he is aware that during the monsoon season practically the whole area along Tanjong Katong Road is flooded, and whether the Government has any plan to alleviate the situation.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon (for the Minister for Law and National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, I am not aware that the whole area along Tanjong Katong Road is flooded during the monsoon season. It is possible that an area bounded by Tanjong Katong Road, Mountbatten Road, and Wareham Road, being below high tide level, is subject to flooding during certain seasons of the year. Action has, in fact, been taken to provide a reservoir with pumping stations at Poole Road and Wimbourne Road, adjacent to the Geylang River, to deal with normal flooding situations, but the flooding cannot be prevented at all times because of the pumping capacity of the pumping stations. In any case, such flooding, when it occurs, is temporary and is not of a serious nature. It is, therefore, considered that huge sums of public funds should not be spent on relieving the minor flooding situations affecting a small area such as this.