JALAN POTONG PASIR, MEYAPPA CHETTIAR ROAD, JALAN KOLAM AYER AND LORONG BAKAR BATU AREAS (Environmental improvements)

Mr Ivan Baptist asked the Minister for Law, the Environment and Science and Technology (a) how many times in a month the Jalan Potong Pasir, Meyappa Chettiar Road, Jalan Kolam Ayer and Lorong Bakar Batu areas are patrolled by the Environment personnel; (b) what actions are being taken to improve the poor environmental conditions existing in those areas; (c) what is being done to improve the poor drainage in those areas; and (d) what particular action is being taken to reduce the existing pollution in the upper reaches of the Kallang River especially the portion flowing through the Lorong 8 (Toa Payoh), Jalan Potong Pasir and Meyappa Chettiar Road areas.

Mr E.W. Barker: The Ministry of the Environment provides daily refuse removal, nightsoil removal and cleansing services to the four areas in question. Weekly vector control surveillance is also carried out. The public health auxiliaries visit the areas daily.

In conjunction with the cleaning up of the Kallang Basin, a long term programme has been drawn up to improve the environmental conditions of the area. This will involve redevelopment of the area together with the resiting of hawkers and farmers, extension of the sewerage facilities, resettlement of the squatters and the prohibition of pig farming and duck rearing. These developments will take time. The immediate programme is to phase out latrines hanging over rivers and to extend the daily nightsoil removal services to the affected areas.

The areas referred to form part of the lower catchment of the Kallang River. Most of these areas are low and have many squatters and farms. Any drainage improvement can only be carried out in conjunction with redevelopment when the land can be filled up adequately and a proper drainage system provided.

The Drainage Department has already commenced improvement work and concrete lining of the main Kallang River in conjunction with the development of Ang Mo Kio New Town. At present, six contracts are in progress covering the improvement of the river from its upper reaches at Thomson Road to Jalan Toa Payoh. This will cater for the increased run-off from the new town which otherwise would overflow the river banks and aggravate flooding of the lower catchment particularly the areas in question. Further improvement downstream of Jalan Toa Payoh will be carried out in due course under the second phase of the project.

Pollution in Sungei Kallang comes from its catchment, e.g. from the discharge of pig waste in the pig farms north of Braddell Road adjacent to the banks of Sungei Kallang, the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and discharge of sullage water into the drains from premises, in particular, from the squatter colonies, mainly at Jalan Teck Kee, Potong Pasir and Kampong San Teng.

The present efforts to keep Sungei Kallang clean by desilting and removing of refuse are only palliative measures. Until the sources of pollution on land have been eliminated, Sungei Kallang will continue to be polluted.