SINGAPORE - A section of the park connector in Clementi near an almost completed Housing Board Build-To-Order (BTO) project has been closed after soil spilt into the nearby canal on Friday morning.
According to the MP for the area Sim Ann, a landslide near the Clementi NorthArc construction site in Clementi Avenue 6 in the early hours of the morning caused damage to the Ulu Pandan Park Connector and soil displacement into the Ulu Pandan Canal.
She said the site has been cordoned off for public safety and asked residents to stay clear of the area for now.
One passer-by sustained minor injuries and was attended to at the site, said HDB in a statement on Facebook. It added that the injured man is now resting at home. No other injuries were reported.
The affected areas of the park connector have been cordoned off and the public should stay away from the area, HDB added.
“HDB is working with the National Parks Board (NParks), PUB and the Building and Construction Authority to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and carry out the necessary recovery actions,” it said. “As part of our safety process and precautionary measures, we have checked the nearby completed but yet to be occupied blocks and confirmed that they remain structurally sound.”
Cyclist Baven Chin, who travels on the section of the affected park connector twice a week from Ghim Moh to Pandan Road, said that the landslide can cause flooding in the area now that soil and mud have spilt into the canal.
“The rain is going to come. I don’t know what is going to happen. It is probably going to flood this area or there is going to be heavy washing away (of soil),” said the 53-year-old management consultant.
Addressing concerns over potential flooding if the canal is choked, PUB said on Facebook at about 1pm that water can still flow in Sungei Ulu Pandan and HDB is working on removing earth inside the canal. Water quality in the nearby Pandan Reservoir is not affected.
It added: “PUB is monitoring the situation and has deployed our quick response team vehicles at locations upstream of the canal. They are on standby to respond to any potential flooding incidents in the event of heavy rainfall.”
NParks has closed the Ulu Pandan Park Connector along both sides of the canal for slope repair works.
Mr Lim Thiam Chye, 56, a resident at Block 307, near the area affected by the landslide, said the street lamps in the area were not working at about 1am on Friday. He added that there are park connector users even at night. “There are people who cycle and run here at night.”
The landslide occurred near the Clementi NorthArc HDB project, which was launched in February 2017 with an estimated completion date in the second half of this year.
But the BTO project has been hit with delays - first till the third quarter of this year and again for up to six more months till March next year.
ST reported in April that buyers of Clementi NorthArc and two other BTO projects were frustrated at being informed late about the latest round of delays.
- Additional reporting by Isabelle Liew
