FLOODS AND DRAINAGE PROBLEMS (Statement by the Minister for Law and the Environment)

3.55 p.m.

Mr E. W. Barker: In the last decade Singapore has seen a boom in the building construction industry. Many new roads and highways have also been constructed. Hills have been levelled and swamps and low-lying areas, which served as flood basins, have been filled in. As a result, rain water no longer seeps into the ground as much as before, but runs off rapidly and sometimes causes floods. When a heavy rainfall coincides with a high tide, especially a high spring tide, floods occur in some areas and sometimes even in areas which were never flooded before.

The construction of the canal near the Turf Club to divert flood waters from Bukit Timah to Ulu Pandan has alleviated but not eradicated flooding along that major trunk road. The construction of another canal to divert flood waters in the Bukit Timah canal from Whitley Road to Sungei Whampoa is therefore being reconsidered.

A second canal will also be constructed along Orchard Road to alleviate flooding along that road. The canal will be covered over and used as a pedestrian mall.

Last year Government approved a five-year Drainage Development Programme costing about $148 million. Under this plan, drainage work has already started on the widening and concrete lining of drains and canals in the Kallang, Ulu Pandan. Pang Sua, Bedok and Geylang Serai areas.

Existing drains and canals as well as those under construction will be sufficiently large to cope with average rainfall. It will not be economical both from the project cost and land use aspects to build extra large canals for exceptional storms that may occur infrequently.

Despite all that is being done to alleviate flooding, we cannot eradicate floods completely. More rain is expected in the next month or so, and if the rain is heavy and coincides with a high tide, flooding will occur. But our floods do not last long and will not reach the proportions of a disaster.