Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters at Jurong Lake
Residents living in the west now have two water playgrounds to enjoy. Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) at Jurong Lake was declared open by Guest-of-Honour Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance and Member of Parliament for Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC) during the Jurong GRC Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration organised jointly by national water agency PUB and Jurong GRC this evening. This follows the opening of ABC Waters at Pandan Reservoir in July this year.
Built at a cost of $6.7million, ABC Waters at Jurong Lake features a 235-metre-boardwalk and fishing deck, as well as a stage and viewing gallery along the south-western promenade. Floating wetlands along the boardwalk attract wildlife such as fish and birds, enhancing the biodiversity of the lake, while a 20-metre-high fountain adds to the beauty of the lake, both by day and night.
Those who love water activities can also look forward to kayaking and dragon boating with dedicated lanes for competitive rowing and a water activity-based centre operated by the People’s Association.
In addition, extended footpaths from the existing park connector bring people closer to the north-western lake shoreline, so they can enjoy sport fishing and a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.
As with all ABC Waters projects, the grassroots and community were consulted during the project design and construction stages. For Jurong Lake, the stage and viewing gallery were built at the request of the grassroots, to provide more spaces for performances and community gatherings.
Taking the lead in this are eight organizations, who have pledged to look after Jurong Lake as if it were their second home. The Singapore Civil Defence Force, Jurong Country Club, Science Centre Singapore, Taman Jurong Grassroots, Lakeside Primary School, as well as Jurong, Yuan Ching and Fuhua Secondary schools have adopted the lake under PUB’s Our Waters Programme. They will conduct activities around the lake and take care of it, helping to make the lake more vibrant and beautiful.
The ABC Waters Programme by national water agency PUB was launched in April 2006 to transform Singapore’s water bodies beyond their functional purposes into beautiful and clean streams, rivers and lakes, creating a vibrant City of Gardens and Water. Under the programme, 7 projects have been completed and 10 projects are currently underway, with 7 scheduled for completion by the end of the year.
Marking the opening of ABC Waters at Jurong Lake From left: Mr Yam Ah Mee (Chief Executive Director, People's Association), MPs for Jurong GRC (Mdm Halimah Yacob, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Lim Boon Heng and Ms Grace Fu) and Mr Khoo Teng Chye (Chief Executive, PUB, the national water agency)
Celebrating the mid autumn festival with children from Jurong GRC
25 Sept 2010