Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's vision is to
transform Singapore into a City of Gardens
and Water. In the last few decades, Singapore
has successfully branded itself internationally
as a clean and green city. Now add blue to the landscape.
Imagine flowing waterways as you look out of the
window of your HDB flat. Paddle on a kayak at a reservoir
and take in the sights and sounds of Mother Nature. Go
for a romantic stroll on the boardwalk with your loved one
while your children splash around by the water's edge.
A distant dream? Think again.
"The next stage after clean and green Singapore, is
a vibrant city with clean water and gardens everywhere.
This will be done in your lifetime," said Minister Mentor
Lee Kuan Yew at a grassroots dinner in February 2007.
Indeed, such scenes will soon become a reality in the
next five years as PUB, the national water agency, rolls out
the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme
with more than 20 projects carried out islandwide.
This programme will transform Singapore's pervasive network of canals, drains and reservoirs into picturesque and clean streams, rivers and lakes. A whole range
of recreational and lifestyle activities bringing people
closer to water will become possible.
Walk into a giant mangosteen. Sit on a lime. Peer through a fleshy slice of orange.
Sounds juicy? Residents in Punggol can soon enjoy these fruits of labour and more when the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters project is completed. Dams are now being built at the mouth of Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon to create two freshwater lakes which will become a haven for residents there.
As part of the Punggol 21+ makeover announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally 2007, a floating wetland will be created in the new Punggol Reservoir. It will be linked to the new Seng Kang Fruit Park and upcoming Anchorvale Community Club and sports complex by two bridges: a suspended bridge offering an aerial view of the water and a floating boardwalk that skims the water surface.
In line with the nearby Seng Kang Fruit Park, the floating wetland will have a "fruitful" theme. Sitting in the mangosteen pavilion, you can peer through its pores and enjoy a picturesque view of the reservoir. Or peek through the glass surface of the orange to see the life brimming beneath the water surface. Learn about the ecosystem of the environment at the floating wetland, a natural habitat for fishes and birds.
Come end-2009, these will come to fruition.
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In his speech at the opening of the ABC Waters
exhibition in February 2007, Prime Minister Lee said, "Our
drains and canals were developed as infrastructure for
flood prevention, and our reservoirs for water storage. This remains the main purpose of our water infrastructure,
which delivers our supply of drinking water, and controls
drainage and wastewater management.
"But having developed a comprehensive base of water
infrastructure, we should now take the next step forward.
Our waterways should do more than meet our water
needs. They should also enhance our living environment
and lifestyle. This calls for a bold change of mindset. In
the past, we protected our water resources by keeping
people away from them; now, we will bring people closer
to water so that they will enjoy and cherish it more.
"Many of our rivers and canals are in or close to the
residential heartlands. The waterways are therefore a
natural focal point for water-based activities, community
events, and other recreational options. By linking up our
water bodies and waterways, we will create new community spaces that are clean, pleasant, and bustling with
life and activities. We will integrate our water bodies with
our parks and green spaces and turn Singapore into a
City of Gardens and Waters."
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