PUB to spend $750 million to fight flooding
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National water agency PUB said on Monday it will adopt most of the flood panel's recommendations, adding that it will spend at least $750 million on expanding canal capacity and other drainage projects.
It outlined a slew of measures aimed at reducing floods here, including immediate plans to increase the capacity of Stamford Canal, which serves the flood-hit Orchard Road area, by 10 per cent.
This includes lining the canal with a smooth material to transport water faster and removing sewage and Newater pipes within the canal to increase its capacity. These will be completed within a year. The National Environment Agency will also roll out a better flood alert system by year-end which will warn people of potential floods earlier.
In the next five years, PUB will also increase the capacity of six major canals here island-wide by 30 to 45 per cent each and revise its drainage master plan once every three years, compared to once every five years now.
