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Kallang River, Sungei Whampoa gets upgrade

Residents along Kallang River and Sungei Whampoa will now have more spaces to relax. These areas have been spruced up with new spaces and viewing decks, as part of national water agency PUB’s Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters programme.

The ABC Waters programme brings a rich vibrancy to the areas around the Kallang River (Photo: PUB)

Residents along Kallang River and Sungei Whampoa will now have more spaces to relax. These areas have been spruced up with new spaces and viewing decks, as part of national water agency PUB’s Active, Beautiful and Clean (ABC) Waters programme.

The first ABC project to be opened in 2017, the S$3.8 million upgrading works at Kallang River involved the widening of the promenade from three to 15 m to allow both cyclists and pedestrians to enjoy the recreational space together, reported Channel News Asia.

A ramp has been added to give wheelchair-bound individuals access to the upgraded promenade. Shelters that mimic the masts of vessels that sailed along the Kallang River in the 19th century have also been built, to add a touch of nostalgia to the surroundings.

The area also features rain gardens, which come with specially-selected plants and soil to cleanse rainwater from the promenade before flowing into the river.

Officially opened on Sunday (22 January) by Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim, the project targets to bring the community closer to the city-state’s waters.

Its first adopter, Kong Hwa School, for instance, is planning a learning trail for its students.

“The ABC Waters design features, such as the rain gardens, coupled with the tradition and significance of the Kallang neighbourhood, make for great learning opportunities and reinforce character and citizenship education beyond the classroom,” said Jerry Yang, a teacher.

Meanwhile, the S$1.8 million upgrade at Sungei Whampoa saw the rise of lookout decks and a rain garden along the 450-metre stretch of the river. Efforts to green the canal walls have also been made.

The project at Sungei Whampoa will be officially opened in February.

“ABC Waters @ Kallang River and Sungei Whampoa are really about building for the future. Both projects were planned to be integrated with upcoming development works in the vicinity,” said Tan Nguan Sen, Chief Sustainability Officer at PUB.

“As both Kallang River and Sungei Whampoa flow into the Marina Reservoir – a source of water supply, we hope residents will help to play their part in keeping the waters free from litter so that all of us can enjoy cleaner, clearer waters and a better living environment,” added Tan.

 

Christopher Chitty, Senior Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email christopher@propertyguru.com.sg