PUB distributes flood barriers to residents amid rainy season after Clementi landslide

SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB distributed flood barriers and inflatable floodbags to residents at Sunset Way and Sunset Drive on Monday (Sep 5) as a precautionary measure, after Friday’s landslide at a nearby construction site.

The landslide, which occured at the site of the Clementi NorthArc Build-to-Order project, caused “soil displacement” into Sungei Ulu Pandan and damaged part of the Ulu Pandan park connector.

Recovery works to stabilise the site and safely remove the dislodged soil in Sungei Ulu Pandan would take time, said PUB in a Facebook post on Monday.

“With rainy weather expected in the first half of September, the areas upstream of the canal blockage may experience higher flood risk in the event of heavy rain,” it added.

The flood barriers consist of individual lightweight panels that can be linked up and deployed quickly to divert floodwaters, said PUB, while the floodbags inflate upon contact with water and can be stacked up to form a barrier.

“These flood protection devices can be set up quickly during heavy rain, to prevent floodwaters from entering homes,” said the agency, adding that it has also reached out to building owners in the area to assist them with flood protection.