Concrete canal in Tampines is a naturalised river now

What used to be a drab concrete canal next to Tampines Eco Green park is now a verdant naturalised waterway after a section of Sungei Tampines was given a makeover that will also protect the area against flooding.

Widened and deepened, the 1.4km waterway between Tampines Avenue 7 and Tampines Expressway (TPE) has 30 per cent more capacity, providing a better defence for the surrounding areas during intense rainstorms.

Opened yesterday after four years of construction, it is the first extensive naturalisation of a concrete canal here since 2012, when a 2.7km stretch of the Kallang River in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park was turned into a natural river. Some naturalisation was also done in 2019 for another part of the Kallang River, between Bishan and Braddell roads, but on a much smaller scale.

Another improvement at Sungei Tampines consists of three "rain gardens" designed to retain and cleanse storm water run-off before it is discharged into the river.

An existing park connector has also been rebuilt so it hangs over the river, and there are new lookout decks to bring people closer to the water.

Additionally, a reconstructed pedestrian linkway near the TPE and a new bridge near Block 496C will provide better connectivity, said national water agency PUB.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng, who is the MP for Tampines North, called the opening of the improved canal "a special moment".

"The works, I know, were quite... noisy, a lot of dust. But thank you for bearing with it so today we can reap the fruits," he said.

PUB said the 1.4km section of the 3.3km-long Sungei Tampines canal was selected for upgrading in 2018 to serve new public housing estates in Tampines North.

Construction was completed earlier this month.

PUB said the soil bio-engineering techniques used to naturalise one side of the canal were similar to those used in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park a decade ago.

The plants grown on the naturalised canal bank stabilise the soil and foster a robust native habitat for biodiversity. Meanwhile, the greenery added to the canal's base helps to soften its concrete hardscape, the agency added.

PUB said the naturalisation was done mainly to make the area more liveable as Tampines North is not a flooding hot spot nor flood-prone.

Other canals have not been naturalised because of site constraints and lack of space. This is also why only the side next to Tampines Eco Green park was naturalised as there was the space to do so.

"In land-scarce Singapore, it is not possible to adopt a naturalised canal design for all the drainage infrastructure," PUB said.

Costing $48 million, the improvements to Sungei Tampines canal are part of PUB's Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme, which began in 2006 to spruce up water bodies here.

To date, 51 ABC Waters projects have been completed. Another six projects will be completed in the next five years, including Alkaff Lake in Bidadari Park next year.

The opening of the improved Sungei Tampines waterway yesterday was held in conjunction with National Day celebrations organised for more than 400 residents.

Besides Mr Baey, Tampines GRC MPs Masagos Zulkifli, who is Minister for Social and Family Development, and Desmond Choo, who is North East District Mayor, also attended the event.

More community events are expected to be held on the banks of the naturalised canal.

Tampines resident Ng Shu Qi, 25, said it is easier for her to access Tampines Eco Green park with the new bridge at Block 496C, and the canal's facelift also makes the area better for a jog or walk. "I think it is very pretty, with the greenery and everything," said the engineer.