Plantation Plaza in Tengah floods during downpour, some patrons stranded in store

Plantation Plaza in Tengah has been plagued by flooding during heavy downpours, inconveniencing tenants.

In one instance, patrons were even left stranded.

Some tenants said they suspect that the ceiling along parts of the mall did not extend out far enough, which has allowed rainwater to enter and accumulate along the corridor.

Some patrons stranded

According to tenants, flooding has been a recurring issue at Plantation Plaza, Shin Min Daily News reported.

A male staff from a hair salon on the second floor said it has happened more than four times since the salon opened over a year ago.

However, the most serious occurrence happened on Dec. 4.

"Flooding also occurred last year during the rainy season. But the one that happened last Thursday at around 3pm was the worst. Rainwater entered our shop," he said.

He explained that each time it rained, rainwater would enter through some of the shops, like Lau Wang Claypot and Ron Sheng Fish Soup.

It would flow into the corridor and spread from there, affecting other shops.

Based on CCTV footage provided by the staff, some tenants could be seen attempting to keep the rainwater out by placing towels at their entrances, while some cleaners did their best with cleaning equipment.

One cleaner could also be seen attempting to spread the water out with a cleaning machine.

A female staff at a nail parlour shared that some customers were left stranded by the rainwater.

"We spent almost two hours trying to clear the water. Some of the nail gels ended up getting soaked and could no longer be used," she recounted.

Ceiling and drainage issue

One tenant opined that the issue laid with the mall's ceiling design, Shin Min reported.

The outdoor dining area at Lau Wang Claypot was apparently not sufficiently sheltered, which has allowed rainwater to enter the corridor.

One frustrated employee from Lau Wang Claypot said that apart from the ceiling issue, the drains are also unable to handle large volumes of water.

"Each time the water volume is too large, the pipes won't be able to drain the water fast enough. At times, it might even have a back flow, causing water to gush out from the pipes," the employee shared.

"Thankfully, there was only one group of customers that day," she added.

She also shared that the mall's management had made visits to check on the issue, but is unsure if any solutions have been implemented.

The management has provided flood barriers and sandbags to help manage the flooding on rainy days.

High volume of rainwater could not be discharged fast enough: HDB

In a reply from the Housing and Development Board (HDB), it explained that HDB is aware of the flooding incident on the second story of Plantation Plaza on Dec. 4.

HDB explained that due to the heavy downpour that day, there was an "exceptionally high volume of rainwater flowing into the drainage system".

"As such, the rainwater gushing down from the roof garden through the existing rainwater outlets and downpipes could not be discharged fast enough to the first storey, and this resulted in a backflow of rainwater through the drainpipe openings on the second storey," HDB added.

According to HDB, the incident was resolved in two hours after cleaners were deployed to contain and remove the water so that businesses could resume operations.

HDB also said that while the existing drainage infrastructure at Plantation Plaza complies with Singapore's code of practice, it is looking into enhancing the drainage system to facilitate rainwater drainage.

"As a temporary measure in the interim, we are diverting two existing rainwater downpipes to channel rainwater to outdoor areas on the first storey, to prevent backflow through the drainpipes," HDB said.

In a Dec. 11 Facebook post, Choa Chu Kang GRC Member of Parliament Choo Pei Ling wrote that the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which manages Plantation Plaza, was duly alerted about the Dec. 4 flooding.

"We understand that this is due to strain on the existing draining system as a result of the incessant downpour," Choo wrote, adding that the flooding was cleared on the day itself.

She said that HDB has been working on the matter to assess if further rectification is needed.

Similar flooding along Clementi Road on Dec. 4

According to Shin Min, similar flooding occurred along Clementi Road on Dec. 4.

Feng (transliteration), 78, owner of Fong Seng Nasi Lemak located along 22 Clementi Road, shared that the restaurant would be flooded each time there is a heavy downpour.

"Whenever there's heavy rain and high tide, the area would be flooded. Maybe it's because this area is near the sea, and the seawater would overflow from the coast," Feng said.

Each time a flood occurs, they would alert the authorities.

However, some customers would continue dining at the restaurant, despite the flood.

Other tenants in the area similarly complained of persistent flooding during downpours.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News