Katong Shopping Centre flooded after heavy rain, shop owners cry foul

Every time heavy rain arrives in Singapore, Katong Shopping Centre basement shop owners brace for impending flood.

With a monsoon surge the past few days, Shin Min Daily News reported that the basement was flooded from the wee hours of Jan. 16, and the flood subsided on Jan. 17 at noon.

Floodwater "smells like a toilet"

Many of the merchants whom Shin Min Daily News spoke to complained about the smell of the floodwater.

The owner of a grocery store said that the water rises quickly to the level of the ankles in less than an hour but takes a few hours to recede afterwards.

He told Shin Min, "My shop is closest to the staircase, and it will flood when it rains heavily. I have to move the goods placed along the corridor onto chairs.

He added, "Even if the water recedes, the stench is still there, and it smells like a toilet, which makes it really difficult to endure."

He also said that he had reported the matter to the shopping centre's management multiple times.

However, he claimed that he has only seen cleaning staff pumping out water and cleaning the water, which is only a "symptomatic treatment" and not a "fundamental solution".

Meanwhile, a carpet store owner also revealed how his carpets had been soaked by the foul-smelling water, affecting his business.

He said, "Fortunately, I still have some spare carpets, so I do not have to replace all of them with new ones for the time being. But if the problem is not solved, the flooding will come back at any time."

Another grocery store owner also said he had to close his shop for two days due to the flooding.

According to this owner, he will display his goods on the walkway outside his store.

However, a flood means he has to shift them back inside. Otherwise, the wheels of his shelves will rust.

This, in turn, means he is unable to do business.

"While water entered the store yesterday, fortunately, the goods did not get wet," he said.

Reportedly happens on a near-weekly basis

A 60-year-old hairdresser told Shin Min Daily News that such flooding occurs two to three days almost weekly.

She added that the worst flooding occurs at the mall's stairwell, which shop owners have jokingly dubbed a "swimming pool."

"Sometimes, if it is serious, the water becomes shin-deep, making it impossible to walk, and it smells very bad," she said.

The owner of a calligraphy store said that some shop owners have since turned to the lunar calendar to predict the next high tide and, thus, possible flooding.

The shop owners will then make preparations in advance.

Shin Min Daily News said it had contacted the mall's management about the matter but had not received a reply at the time of publication on Jan. 18.

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News