Singapore, Feb 4 Singapore will allocate approximately 150 million Singapore dollars (about 110 million US dollars) for six new drainage upgrading projects in the 2025 fiscal year, as part of ongoing efforts to mitigate flash floods, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu told the parliament on Tuesday.
This comes as Singapore experienced two monsoon surges in January that led to heavy rainfall and localized flooding. In response to questions from lawmakers regarding flood prevention measures, Fu said that her ministry was also reviewing the country's overall drainage infrastructure plan for the next five-year cycle from fiscal 2026 to 2030.
Currently, there are 19 ongoing drainage improvement projects. The six new projects will involve widening and deepening drains.
Since 2011, the government has invested 2.5 billion Singapore dollars in drainage infrastructure upgrades. However, Fu cautioned it is "neither practical nor prudent" to keep expanding the drainage system indefinitely, given Singapore's limited land resources, Xinhua news agency reported.
"Doing so would require significant land and financial resources, which would then not be available for other important uses," she said, noting the need for shared responsibility, urging the government, building owners, developers, and the wider community to "be prepared for flash floods and adapt to them."
Despite occasional flash floods, Fu noted that most flooding incidents in Singapore are localised and subside within an hour.
Nearly 100 potholes were also identified across Singapore in the first 12 days of 2025 amid persistent heavy rainfall.
The figure was significantly lower than the same period in 2024, the local media said while quoting data from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Potholes generally develop when water seeps into cracks in road surfaces caused by regular wear and tear. These cracks widen as vehicles travel over them, a process exacerbated by prolonged rainfall, an LTA spokesperson explained.
Proactive road maintenance has helped to significantly reduce the number of potholes detected annually in recent years. The LTA data indicates a decline from 9,702 potholes in 2021 to 3,013 in 2024.
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