MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT

The Ministry of the Environment is responsible for maintaining a high standard of public health, for improving the environment and for controlling pollution.

Water Resources and Pollution Control

A Water Pollution Control and Drainage Bill will be introduced this year for more effective protection of water resources and prevention of water pollution.

In the Kranji/Pandan catchment areas, pig farms and some pollutive industries will have to move to non-catchment areas. In the catchment areas only non-polluting industries and activities will be allowed.

Sewerage

An estimated sum of $400 million will be spent on sewerage projects in the next five years for housing and industrial estates. These projects will serve Telok Blangah, Bukit Timah, Clementi, the City, East Coast, .Bedok, Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio.

Drainage

A live-year drainage plan integrated with the development of new public housing and industrial estates has been drawn up. This drainage plan is for Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Telok Blangah, Ayer Rajah, Geylang Serai, Woodlands, Clementi, Chua Chu Kang, MacPherson,Stamford and the East Coast.

Solid Waste Disposal

The construction of a 1,200-tonne incinerator will commence this year to cope with the growing volume of refuse.

Hawkers

All bona fide hawkers have now been licensed. No new licences will be issued except in special circumstances. Licensed street hawkers will be moved into markets and hawker centres. Firm action will continue to be taken against unlicensed hawkers.

Crematoria and Funeral Parlours

Four new crematoria at Mount Vernon will be ready for use this year. A columbarium (facilities for the keeping of ashes of the dead) will be built. Two modern funeral parlours will be constructed at Mount Vernon to serve, in particular, the people living in high rise flats. Other suitable sites will be allocated for funeral parlours to be constructed and run by private organisations.

Air Pollution

Air, pollution will be kept within acceptable levels by selective siting of industries and control of the number of vehicles. Only clean industries will be sited within housing estates.

Industries, which make marginal contribution to the economy and which are highly pollutive such as sawmills, will be phased out. The more efficient and viable sawmills will be required to modernise their operation and will be relocated in the Sungei Kadut Industrial Estate.

PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD

The PUB continues to execute more projects to meet the growing demand for electricity, water and gas. Two major water projects will shortly be completed. Construction of the new power station at Senoko is making steady progress. Preliminary work on two new gasmaking plants will commence within the year.

With the increase in cost of labour and materials, especially fueoil, the production cost of all utilities has risen considerably. For the first time in its history the Board has forecast a revenue deficit for 1975. This upward trend will ultimately affect the price we will have to pay for utilities consumed.

Electricity

The growth in electricity consumption in 1974 of 3.7% is considerably lower than in previous years and is due mainly to public awareness of the oil crisis coupled with the increase in cost of electricity because of the fuel oil levy.

Stage II of Jurong Power Station (cost: $133 million) has been completed and the three 120 MW units successfully commissioned by the middle of 1974. The first 120 MW unit of the Senoko Power Station Stage .1 now under construction (cost: $200 million) is expected to be commissioned towards the latter part of this year. The first phase of the new 230 KV underground transmission network (cost: $100 million) is scheduled for commissioning in October 1975. This phase is designed to transmit large blocks of power from Senoko Power Station to load centres on the island.

The board's rural electrification programme comprising some 500 projects (cost: $15 million) in 18 stages of implementation was completed by the third quarter of 1974. Electricity is now available in all parts of the island, except in remote rural sites earmarked for redevelopment.

Water

There was an increase of only 1.81% in water consumption in 1974. This remarkably low growth is the result of the awareness o. the public. Economising in the use of water must become a way of life for Singaporeans.

The Upper Peirce(cost: $56.8 million) and Kranji Pandan (cost: $75.1 million) schemes will be completed shortly and will increase the total maximum storage capacity of the Republic's impounding reservoirs by more than 49 million cubicmetres. The third-phase extension (cost:$1.14 million) of Jalan Eunos Service Reservoir was completed last year, bringing the total capacity to 100,000 cubic metres. Together with the booster station and water tower, this service reservoir will cater for the future water requirements in the eastern part of Singapore. The construction of a 32,000-cubic metre service reservoir at Hill 65, Jurong (cost: $3 million) is in progress. Scheduled for completion in September 1975, this service reservoir will serve the Jurong New Town area.

Gas

Gas consumption in 1974 increased by 16.8%.

With the commissioning of the eighth gasmaking plant (cost: $1.5 million) in August 1973, the production capacity of Kallang Gas Works was increased by 100,000 cubic metres per day. Work on two new gasmaking plants (cost: $4.5 million) with a combined capacity of more than 200,000 cubic metres per day will commence this year. The addition of these plants will enable the Board to meet the anticipated demand for gas until the 1980's.