Recovery works may take a few months

It may take a few months to repair the damage caused by the landslide at a Clementi Build-To-Order (BTO) site last Friday, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Sunday.

He added that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the Housing Board's engineers and the project's qualified person - either an architect or engineer - have inspected the surrounding buildings and structures at the site and found them structurally sound.

In the early hours of Friday, a landslide at the Clementi NorthArc construction site in Clementi Avenue 6 damaged a section of the Ulu Pandan park connector and displaced soil into the Ulu Pandan Canal.

Over the past two days, HDB, the National Parks Board (NParks) and national water agency PUB have been working round the clock to carry out immediate repair and slope stabilisation recovery works, Mr Lee said.

The priority has been to mitigate the impact of the slope failure and ensure the safety of workers and the public, said the minister, who visited the area with Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann on Sunday.

HDB and contractors have applied a thin layer of concrete to stabilise the slope.

They have also created a channel to allow water to flow through the canal to mitigate any flood risks upstream, especially given the rainy weather.

"More permanent slope stabilisation measures are being carried out, followed by the main recovery and construction efforts, which may take a few months," said Mr Lee.

The recovery works include removing the dislodged soil in the canal, reinstating the damaged part of the park connector, and reconstructing the slope and retaining walls within the site.

BCA, the Ministry of Manpower and HDB are investigating the cause of the slope failure.

"In the meantime, safety remains our priority. We will continue to check the instrument readings deployed within and around the site to closely monitor structural safety throughout the entire recovery process," said Mr Lee.

On Sunday, NParks said a section of the park connector will remain closed, after an assessment by the authorities. This section stretches between Boon Lay Way and Clementi Road and is nearer to the area of the slope failure.

Said NParks: "This is for public safety due to ongoing and planned recovery and repair works, and potential flood risks."

The park connector beyond the section - from Clementi Road to Commonwealth Avenue West, near Ghim Moh Road - has reopened.

NParks and PUB will closely monitor the rain forecast and water level in the canal and will temporarily close the park connector when necessary.

PUB advised the public to avoid using the park connector during heavy rain.

The Clementi NorthArc BTO project was launched in February 2017 and is estimated to be completed in the second half of this year.