SINGAPORE – The next time an underground carpark or a shopping centre basement floods in Singapore, an amphibious yellow rover could come to the rescue.
The new remote-controlled pump vehicle, which is slightly larger than a motorcycle, is one of the new anti-flood measures that national water agency PUB rolled out on Nov 12, at the start of its third annual flood-resilience campaign.
During the rainy season, which usually lasts from November to January, flash floods can occur when heavy rain overwhelms Singapore’s drainage system, especially in low-lying areas.
While Singapore has not officially entered this wet phase of the north-east monsoon season, heavy rain in early November had already caused a flash flood at the junction of West Coast Road and West Coast Way on Nov 10.
The campaign highlights the message that flash floods can happen anytime and anywhere, and everyone needs to be flood-ready.
“Flood resilience is not about being lucky and hoping for the best,” said Angela Koh, PUB’s deputy chief executive for flood resilience. “It is about being prepared for the unexpected.
“PUB will continue to strengthen our flood monitoring, infrastructure and response capabilities, but building a flood-resilient Singapore takes all of us.”
PUB said the new initiatives, such as its remote-controlled pump vehicle as well as new road sensors, will help the agency enhance its flood monitoring and response efforts.
When flash floods are reported, the conventional pumping set-up usually involves contractors using a lorry to transport pumps, a diesel generator, hoses and other equipment to the affected location. These could take an hour or longer to set up, depending on the situation’s complexity.
But the set-up is challenging to deploy in more confined environments, such as an underground carpark, tunnels or a basement.
The new 800kg rover that PUB is trialling, however, can be deployed in such cases.
The vehicle can run for at least seven hours, and has a pumping capacity of 500 cubic m per hour, which is equivalent to emptying an Olympic-size swimming pool in five hours.
As an amphibious vehicle, it can operate in knee-high flood waters of up to 70cm deep to draw water into nearby drains. This also reduces the need for personnel to enter tight areas such as basement carparks, where there is a risk of electrical hazards.
The rover can also traverse uneven terrain and stairs, as it has tracks instead of wheels.
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