Part of Bukit Batok Canal to be redeveloped for community purposes

SINGAPORE — A 230m stretch of Bukit Batok Canal, located between Bukit Batok West Ave 2 and 4, is being turned into a community space, announced national water agency PUB today (Jan 17).

Dr Amy Khor, Member of Parliament for Hong Kah North, was the guest-of-honour at the groundbreaking ceremony this morning.

Some of the features include rain gardens and timber seats along the waterway. A PUB statement said that the project aims to transform the neighbourhood into a “vibrant communal space while allowing residents to get close to and better appreciate the waterway”.

As part of the makeover, rain gardens will be incorporated along the canal bank to detain and cleanse rainwater runoff before discharging the water into the canal. In addition, creepers along the canal walls and new plantings will give the area an aesthetical boost.

PUB’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Mr Tan Nguan Sen, added that schools in the vicinity can use the site to learn how specially selected plants can cleanse water naturally and enhance biodiversity.

Construction is expected to be completed by early 2016.

The facelift comes under PUB’s Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) programme. To date, PUB has completed 26 ABC Waters projects with 11 ongoing projects. Seven ABC Waters projects will be completed this year, including at Rochor Canal, Sungei Tampines and Kallang River (Potong Pasir).