TELOK BLANGAH ESTATE (Flooding problem)

Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for the Environment whether steps have been taken to deal with the flooding problem along Telok Blangah Road in Telok Blangah Estate.

The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, until last year the stretch of Telok Blangah Road between Wishart Road and Bukit Chermin Road was a known flood prone area. My Ministry has since widened and deepened Bukit Chermin Canal and the adjacent roadside drains. The project costing $3 million was completed in August last year and this stretch of Telok Blangah Road is not flood prone any more. However, Sir, the junction of Henderson Road and Telok Blangah Road floods at present because of the inadequate flow capacity of the roadside drains there, and the Public Works Department of the Ministry of National Development is now improving these roadside drains under its Telok Blangah Road Widening Project, and this project is expected to be completed in the middle of the year.

Sir, I would like to stress that drainage systems cannot be designed against great extremities of the weather. It is just not economic to do so. So the drainage improvements along Telok Blangah Road will substantially alleviate flooding but cannot ensure a completely flood free road under all weather conditions.

Dr Ang Kok Peng (Buona Vista): Supplementary question, Sir. Could the Minister inform the House on the success of other flood alleviation schemes implemented by his Ministry?

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of the Environment has been implementing various flood alleviation schemes over the years and has since August 1985 accelerated a number of new drainage systems with the objectives of flood alleviation and prevention. For example, Sir, in 1986, nearly 50 contracts totalling about $200 million were tendered out as compared to around 30 in 1985.

The House may be pleased to know that the number of areas affected by floods has been decreasing gradually. Areas such as Orchard Road, Siglap, Bedok, Kallang, Woodlands and Ulu Pandan are no longer flood prone. And when the accelerated drainage schemes such as the Bukit Timah Flood Alleviation Scheme, Phase II, are completed in three to four years' time, areas which are presently flood prone, eg, the Bukit Timah catchment valley itself, Tanjong Katong, Pasir Panjang and Upper Paya Lebar Road will no longer be flood prone, hopefully.

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, besides alleviating floods in flood prone areas, my Ministry is also implementing drainage schemes in new developments such as the Tampines New Town, Bukit Batok New Town and Caicuogang New Town in order to ensure that flooding will not occur in these places.