Two eastern rivers get fresh look, cleaner waters

SINGAPORE — Two revitalised rivers in eastern Singapore, Sungei Api Api and Sungei Tampines, were officially opened by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean yesterday (March 22) as part of World Water Day.

Given a new lease of life under the PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme, designers had rejuvenated the two rivers in a way that would bring the community closer to the water’s edge, while at the same time preserving the area’s original environment and natural rustic charm.

At Sungei Api Api, a 900m section between Tampines Expressway and Pasir Ris Drive 3 was enhanced with better footpaths, new lookout decks, shelters and seating — all designed to blend “seamlessly” with the existing lush mangroves and vegetation, said PUB, which has been running the ABC Waters programme since 2006.

For Sungei Tampines, a 1.1km stretch of the river between Tampines Expressway and Pasir Ris Drive 3 has been given new lookout decks, a community plaza and footpaths.

Care was also taken during construction to minimise the impact to existing mangroves at Sungei Api Api, said PUB. For example, construction works for the lookout decks were confined to the embankment to avoid affecting the surrounding mangroves.

Features to filter rainwater runoff are another major addition. At a promenade along Sungei Api Api, PUB incorporated a cleansing biotope — which uses highly porous material such as lava stone to remove sediments — and a rain garden, made up of specially selected plants to help filter the runoff.

Twelve ceramic art pieces crafted by Elias Park Primary School students, featuring flora and fauna such as the giant mudskipper and the atlas moth, were also featured along Sungei Api Api.

In a speech at the opening ceremony yesterday, Mr Teo said: “Our residents can enjoy the refreshed waterscaping and landscaping work that was first done in the 1990s.”

He added that he was glad PUB has preserved the original rustic “kampung-style” charm of the mangrove environment while refreshing the rivers and bringing residents and nature-lovers closer to the water’s edge.

Sungei Tampines is visibly cleaner than before, according to residents TODAY spoke to. “It definitely looks nicer now. At least the river is not stinky. A few years back, it used to be quite dirty,” said Tampines resident Melvin Ang. However, the river water deeper inland is brownish and still not clean, said the 45-year-old.

Another resident, IT professional Tang Hai Tao, felt there was some improvement in the past two years.

“The seawater at the river mouth used to be quite dirty. Sometimes there were pieces of rubbish. Sometimes the water colour doesn’t look good,” said the 28-year-old, who occasionally jogs along the Pasir Ris coast.

Today, the water is cleaner but the filters can still be further improved, said Mr Tang.

Other ABC Waters projects opening this year include Siglap Canal near Telok Kurau Primary School and Kembangan Community Centre, a stretch of the Kallang River at Potong Pasir, and another stretch of the same river at Toa Payoh Lorong 8.