Chitchat Punggol Grows Into A Huge Metropolis! Yet Ungrateful, Whining Sinkies Want To Move Out!

WATCH: As Punggol morphs into one of the largest housing estates in Singapore, its transport woes continue to persist unabated — so much so that some new residents are already thinking of moving out.

The traffic congestion aside, most residents said that strides have been made to improve amenities in the estate, such as childcare centres, schools, healthcare facilities and food outlets.

This used to be pig farms. And they used swine shit as fertilisers in vegetable farm next door. Totally recycleable.

Punggol has some fundamental problems:

- There is almost no industrial activity in the area. Every morning the residents move out to work and return together in the evening creating congestion.

- There is no JC, Poly or University in the area. Even the nearest SR JC is forced to closed down. There will be a small SIT campus but the intake is medicore. Education is limited and the whole cohort got to travel long distances to pursue post-secondary education.

- The air-force jets create a constant noise pollution when they take off from PLAB.

- Like Jurong West, they are affected by air pollution from chemical plants nearby (Malaysia) and even haze from Johor's wildfires during the dry season.

- Punggol has beautiful landscaping and designs but to be honest, the design is more suited for retirees and people who need not go to work. Young couples have daily transportation woes on either train, KPE or Upper Serangoon Road and it is really harder to get slots in primary school and childcares for their kids.

syed putra said:

This used to be pig farms. And they used swine shit as fertilisers in vegetable farm next door. Totally recycleable.

Click to expand...

that's why it's called "pong-gol", kotek

This is the reason why punggol is a dump

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Toxic pollution plaguing residents of Punggol, Sengkang and Pasir Ris may be traced to Malaysia’s Pasir Gudang
By
Jewel Stolarchuk
-
September 25, 2017
31501

• 
  

The toxic air pollution plaguing residents of Punggol, Sengkang, Buangkok and Pasir Ris may be traced to the exhaust fumes rising from Pasir Gudang – a petro-chemical industrial complex about a quarter the size of Singapore, running 24/7 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Accounts of a strange smell in the air and charcoal-black particles floating in the air in these eastern neighbourhoods have been openly recounted for several years now. Residents have complained of a pungent, chemical-like odor that smells like burning plastic or petroleum and so much charcoal particles accumulating on their floors that they are forced to clean their floors more frequently than usual.
This issue is so pressing that it has been pointed out since at least 2007 – a decade ago – and yet the odor and particles persist.


Today, the air was so polluted in these eastern areas and smelt so strongly that the odor wafted into Fernvale, Holland, Commonwealth, Bishan, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon and Seletar.
Such toxic pollution does not only inconvenience residents but will likely harm residents’ health. In fact, the pollution was so bad today that some residents reported that they had difficulty breathing.
In spite of this, the National Environment Agency has only said that it is monitoring the issue and it is unclear whether it has taken action.
The SCDF also investigated the issue and said that no toxic industrial chemicals were detected in the air. Curiously, many residents specifically called the strong “suffocating” odor “chemical-like” just today.
Individuals around Singapore told reporters and shared on social networking sites that:
Muhammad Zulkefly from Sengkang: “It smelt like petroleum, and that was disturbing. I had trouble breathing.”
Linda Lian from Sengkang West: “(it smelled like) burnt rubber or some unknown chemical.”
Maria Sariff from Hougang: “(the smell was) very strong…like plastic burning.”
Angela Marie Oehlers from Buangkok: “So there’s this terrible smell in Buangkok area … Fernvale also. Looks hazy and smells like oil or something, not the usual haze smell.”
Mrs Ho from Serangoon: “We were having dinner when the smell came very quickly at about 7.40pm. It was very strong. We had to close all the windows immediately.”
Chan Yoke Yee from Ang Mo Kio: “(the smell was) giving me a headache.”
Michelle Tng Ying from Holland: “I thought it was something burning in my own house as I had my oven turned on, but then when I stepped onto the balcony, the smell got stronger – smelt like really strong paint.”
These are just accounts from today. Many others have complained about this issue over the years:

Blogger heartlandpuppy has recently published a record of all the public complaints affected residents have made of the pollution. Clickhere to see all the links to online accounts by residents who suffer the side effects of environmental contamination daily.
Fumes arising from Pasir Gudang can be seen from Singapore, across the Straits of Johor

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What HDB didn’t tell you about Punggol (and Pasir Gudang)
Kyle Leung
49 years ago

[Note: An earlier version of the article misinterpreted the odds equivalent of a 10−4, 10−5 and 10−6 increase in probability, overstating it by a factor of 10. 10−5 should equate to 1 in 100,000 odds (1/100,000), not 1 in 10,000 (1/10,000). We apologise for the error, which has since been corrected.]

With Singaporeans oversubscribing the Punggol HDB projects in the Aug 2018 BTO sales launch, it would seem that the two main concerns about living in the North-eastern tip of Singapore — namely the bad traffic conditions to the CBD and the air pollution from Pasir Gudang petrochemical complex across the Straits of Johor — have been put aside. In this article, we take an in-depth look at Pasir Gudang, to find out what wehaven’t been told about the petrochemical hub.


For those who don’t know yet, Pasir Gudang is an industrial district in Johor, Malaysia with a large concentration of petrochemical industries such as refineries (similar to Singapore’s Jurong Island). The zone dedicated to heavy industries is about 20 square kilometres (sq km) in current size, larger than the areas of Punggol and Sengkang combined (16.5 sq km).
Using Google Maps, we ascertained the distance between the Punggol Point Cove and Punggol Point Woods BTO projects to be about 2.5 to 3km from Pasir Gudang factories closest to the Malaysian shore.Previous BTO projects such as Northshore Cove (Feb 2017 launch) are situated even nearer to Pasir Gudang’s petrochemical plants. Johor Port, where hazardous petrochemical products are shipped to and from Pasir Gudang, is located directly opposite Punggol Point Jetty (the tip of Punggol) and just over 1km away.
Pasir Gudang sits in the shadow of HDB’s latest housing projects. Credit: Herman WuSomething in the air
Because of the concentration of petrochemical activities in Pasir Gudang, Singaporeans living in the north-east have at various times reported “chemical smells”. What they are smelling is actually a mixture of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The odour can be acrid and gas-like, and residents — some from as far as Ang Mo Kio due to north-easterly prevailing winds — have reported experiencing headaches, eye irritation, itchy throat and other respiratory conditions that correspond to symptoms experienced during and after exposure to airborne chemicals. Exposure to airborne VOCs has also been known to trigger asthma attacks in sufferers.
And no, these reactions aren’t psychological. A 2015 Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment by Lotte Chemical Titan, which operates one of the largest petrochemical facilities in Pasir Gudang, found that the measured values of some VOCs within the plant’s premises exceeded “odour threshold values”, owing to the large number of similar oleochemical plants in the area. During the inter-monsoon months and the Northeast Monsoon (October through to May every year), prevailing winds from the north means that Punggol residents are directly subject to the odour of the higher-than-threshold VOCs from Pasir Gudang, the health impact of which we’ll further examine later.
Hourly variation of surface wind speed (m/s) and direction for each month (1981-2010 average). Credit: weather.gov.sg
Petrochemical plants also frequently perform “flaring”, the controlled burning of waste gases generated during the petrochemical production process. For Punggol residents, blazing flames from chimneys lighting up the night sky and faint roars from the chimney stacks are common sights and sounds. The by-products of flaring — large amounts of carbon dioxide — do not necessarily pose an immediate health hazard, although residents are probably witnessing global warming in motion.
What the Singapore government says
Airborne VOCs in high enough concentrations can be toxic to humans who inhale them. Although Singaporeans affected by the stench have repeatedly expressed their worry that the gases might be harmful to health, the Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) has so far dismissed any reason for alarm. For the chemical smell reported in September 2017, the NEA assured the public that its air monitoring stations “detected only low and safe levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)” that are “well within international safety guidelines”. No figures were given, nor were the safety guidelines elaborated upon.
The need for facts and figures
The concern about Pasir Gudang, beyond physical irritations, is the potential for the VOCs to cause long-term damage to the health of residents of Punggol (who are literally on the front-line should an accident or major incident happen in Pasir Gudang). Going back to the incident in September 2017, the source of the more intense than usual chemical smell was traced to a fire at a Lotte Chemical Titan facility at Pasir Gudang (see below video of fire). The petrochemical giant was subsequently issued a stop-work order by the Malaysian authorities for the incident, but not before afflicting millions of Singaporeans with chemical fumes that was released during the incident.



Such incidents, which trigger a larger than normal release of VOCs to the atmosphere, is commonly called an “emission event” in industry-speak. According to an industry insider we spoke to, these “emission events” are common (they don’t necessary have to involve fires). In Texas, USA, theemission events reported in 2010accounted for about 15% of VOCs and sulfur dioxide released that year, from across the state’s refineries, chemical plants, and natural gas facilities.
So, we felt it was necessary to delve into scientific research to ascertain the effects of living in the shadow of Pasir Gudang, for Punggol residents and also for all Singaporeans. From computational simulations to real-world studies, our findings were a revelation.
But first, what are VOCs made up of?
If you’ve ever visited a petrol station and smelled petrol, you’re effectively inhaling VOCs*. VOCs easily turn into vapour state, and what is widely-regarded as the most harmful component of petrochemical VOCs is benzene, along with toluene and xylene. The three VOCs are known as BTX; there are several BTX producing facilities in Pasir Gudang, and Lotte Chemical Titan has began operations at a new BTX plant in 2018 as part of its latest expansion, producing 134,000 tonnes of BTX a year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “benzene is carcinogenic to humans, and no safe level of exposure can be recommended”. (Carcinogenic means that a compound or substance may cause cancer in humans.) As airborne particles,the WHO states that, as a guide, the concentrations of benzene associated with an excess lifetime risk of leukaemia of 10−4, 10−5 and 10−6 are 17, 1.7 and 0.17 μg/m3, respectively, where μg refers to microgram (1 gram = 1000000 microgram).
Put it another way, a constant exposure to 17 μg/m3 of airborne benzene will give you an additional 1/10,000 chance of getting leukaemia, a cancer of the blood. An constant exposure to 1.7 μg/m3 of airborne benzene, on the other hand, will give you an additional 1/100,000 chance of getting leukaemia. The odds of 1/10,000 is the chance of striking a 1st prize in 4D with a matching number, whereas 1/100,000 is roughly the odds of being struck and killed by lightning in your lifetime.
While the chances of getting leukaemia due to benzene in VOCs can be expressed in terms of striking lottery or meeting with an unlikely accident in your lifetime, a more accurate example would be expressing it in terms of population.For a town of 200,000 population that has a 1.7 μg/m3 concentration of airborne benzene on average, it is estimated that about two more people in that population will develop leukaemia in their lifetimes (i.e. two people + a baseline figure).
For Punggol residents, the amount of airborne benzene the town receives will likely determine the odds of the leukaemia lottery among the town’s unwilling participants. The town currently has about 150,000 residents, and the figure is set to double in a decade’s time.
*Scientific studies conclusively show that petrol station workers have a marked increase in risk of cancer.
Finding a mini Punggol and Pasir Gudang… in Sweden
But first, without any figures from NEA, we need to find out how much benzene is actually found in the air in a similar real-world situation to Punggol, with an example that is as close to Punggol and Pasir Gudang as possible.
That first lead us to the south-western part of Sweden. Like Punggol, Ödsmål is a town — albeit a low-rise one — located 3km downwind from a petrochemical industrial area totalling about 2.5 sq km.
“Exposed areas”: three areas (North, Central, and South) in the municipality of Stenungsund and the municipality of Odsmal, 3 km north of Stenungsund in the direction of the prevailing winds from the industrial sites. The black areas represent the location of the petrochemical plants. Residential areas are marked with pink colour. Reference: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Apr; 10(4): 1418–1438.
The experiment: In 2006 and 2007, a group of researchers — paper in Swedish but we got it translated for our own understanding — measured the level of common VOCs in Ödsmål throughout the year using portable ground level apparatus. (It must be noted that average wind speeds in Ödsmål is about twice the speed of winds experienced in Singapore.)
What was found: The average annual mean of airborne benzene recorded in Ödsmål is 0.77 μg/m3.Toluene and xylene were not measured. With exposure to this concentration to airborne benzene, we estimate that at least 1 person out of about every 250,000in the population would develop leukaemia in their lifetimes. Given that the population of Ödsmål is only a little over 600, it would seem that they have nothing much to worry about.
However, the most concerning thing we found here isn’t the amount of airborne benzene detected, but the fact that the researchers had found benzene levels to be abnormally high in Ödsmål in January 2007. In this particular month, several elevated concentrations (11 to 58 μg/m3) of airborne benzene were detected. Lasting for a few hours each time, the researchers traced the elevated concentrations, or emission events, to an incident where two major petrochemical facilities nearby had lost power.
Typically, when a petrochemical facility experiences a power failure and has to start up again, large amounts of VOCs are released into the air. We can only hope that Pasir Gudang’s power grid is as good as ours, although power outages there have indeed happened a few times over the past years (many of which aren’t reported and remain unknown to the authorities).
The differences between Ödsmål and Punggol:

• The area of the petrochemical operations near Ödsmål is about eight times smaller than that of Pasir Gudang
• The wind speeds around Ödsmål are higher than what Punggol experiences
• The area separating the petrochemical operations near Ödsmål consists of forest tree cover, whereas open water spans Pasir Gudang and Punggol. airborne VOCs can travel further distances without tree cover
• Unlike Ödsmål, Punggol consists of high-rise residential developments. Higher storeys might be subject to higher concentrations of VOCs

What does it mean for Punggol?
While we cannot draw a direct parallel between the two towns, we know for sure that petrochemical facilities do indeed have an impact on neighbouring communities, especially in instances of emission events. In fact, in a separate 2013 study on Ödsmål residents, over 4 in 10 expressed worry about the health effects of industrial pollution in their area, compared to 1 in 10 from a control group. It’d be interesting to see a similar survey on Punggol residents, compared to those living in the rest of Singapore.
A worst-case scenario through the lens of Ulsan
The city of Ulsan in South Korea.
Sometimes, computer simulations can paint more useful scenarios than simply observing the real-world. Wanting to know how VOCs would be dispersed over a radius, a group of Korean researchers applied advanced computer modelling tools to the city of Ulsan. Their objective was to use real-world data, including myriad weather data and data from past accidents, to “assess the risk caused by an accidental release and dispersion of the toxic chemical benzene in the vicinity of a highly populated urban area”.
The researchers assumed the source of the accidental emission of benzene to be located at the center of the Ulsan Petrochemical Industrial Complex, which is within 3–5 km of heavily populated downtown Ulsan (about the distance between Pasir Gudang and Punggol Central).
The experiment: Benzene is simulated to have been released from a tank 3 metres in diameter and 5 metres in height at an emission rate of 94 grams per second. The simulated release of benzene was done at two timings, one at 1pm local time, and the other at 1am local time.
Without diving into complex mathematical equations, this was how the study was executed: the simulator ran the data from five consecutive August summer months* (from 2009 to 2013). A set of 155 simulations (31 days over 5 years) were conducted to derive the 1-hour average ground-level benzene concentrations for each case, which were then averaged to determine the mean August concentration for a given day.
*Ulsan’s average daytime and nighttime wind speeds are identical to Singapore’s, although max daytime wind speeds in Ulsan are about 20% higher.
What was found: For us laymen, there were two surprising discoveries. Wind does play a huge part, but not in the way we had expected. First, the study found that a higher wind speed resulted in a smaller radius of dispersion of airborne benzene, whereas a lower wind speed resulted in a larger radius of airborne benzene dispersion. This is because a higher wind speed doesn’t allow the benzene plume to rise high into the atmosphere and disperse further, contradicting our earlier assumption that the reverse was true.
In the daytime in particular, the smaller radius of dispersion of airborne benzene at higher wind speeds also means that the “high concentration region” of airborne benzene (46 μg/m3) is confined within a smaller radius of the source (1.2km in the study). This is good news for Punggol residents, but only in the day. For Pasir Gudang, a slower northernly wind — which is most common at night — is more likely to transport the high concentration of airborne benzene to Punggol and extend the total impact or airborne benzene further inland. This is made worse by the fact that rising heat given off by buildings at night help airborne benzene travel further — the second discovery that took us by surprise.
Here’s a visual representation of the difference between day and night in Ulsan’s case. (The largest circle denotes a 10km from the source; inner circles denote 5km, 3km, 2km and 1km.)
Comparison between the average and highest 1-hour benzene concentration obtained from the multiple simulations conducted in August 2009–2013. (a) and (b) illustrate the average distributions for the daytime (1300 LST) and the nighttime (0100 LST), respectively. (c) and (d) are the same as (a) and (b), but illustrate the highest concentrations. Reference: Atmospheric Environment Volume 144, November 2016, Pages 146-159

What does it mean for Punggol?
Well, scratch that. How about what does it mean for Singapore? We say this because anything bad that happens in Pasir Gudang will, over the course of 24 hours, likely affect vast areas of Singapore, especially given these three “perfect storm” combination of factors that count against us: wind from the North; wind speeds dipping at night; heat rising from buildings in Punggol, all of which increases the radius of airborne benzene dispersion. Bam! So, while Punggol (and Sengkang) residents might feel the maximum wrath of benzene in the nighttime given a worst-case scenario (like the fire at Lotte Chemical Titan), it’s likely they won’t be the only ones choking.
So… will Pasir Gudang kill us?
Well, a multiyear Taiwan study published in 2006 might give us a bit of definitive clarity as to which group of people stands to be most affected by living near petrochemical industries.
The experiment: To explore the relationship between residential petrochemical exposure and risk of leukemia, the Taiwanese researchers conducted a study in four areas with petrochemical plants. The researchers defined the four areas as “potentially exposed areas” that were within a 3km radius of any of the four petrochemical complexes. The subjects of the study were residents who lived in these potentially exposed areas, as well as residents from elsewhere who formed a control group. Each resident was assigned a “residential petrochemical exposure” factor (i.e. risk factor) depending on the following:

• The duration of stay at his/her place of residence
• The distance of each residence from petrochemical plants
• Monthly prevailing wind direction
• Petrochemical pollution sources

What was found: Among study participants under the age of 20, there was no link between increasing residential petrochemical exposure and risk of leukaemia. Among study participants between the ages of 20 and 29, however, increasing residential petrochemical exposure was positively associated with the risk of leukaemia.
The researchers concluded that higher levels of residential petrochemical exposure appeared to elevate the risk of developing leukaemia among individuals between the ages of 20 and 29 years, but did not appear to affect risk among children.
In another Taiwanese study published in March 2018, researchers found that “elderly and female residents living within 10 km of a petrochemical complex had higher carcinogenic exposure and cancers than those living farther away from the complex after the complex had been operating for 10 years”. The study also highlighted other potentially carcinogenic pollutants other than benzene, such as heavy metals. (FYI: 10km from Pasir Gudang would include the whole of Hougang, almost all of Ang Mo Kio and parts of Serangoon.)
Are there any other studies that show no ill effects of living near a petrochemical complex, then?
We did try to find “no effect” studies, but these seemed few and far between. A1999 UK study did find that there was no significant increase in the risk of leukaemia within 2 km or 7.5 km of seven petrochemical sites locally. It did, however, find a weak link between the risk of Hodgkin’s disease and proximity to major petrochemical industry.
But bear in mind that none of these findings would matter if…

• You are a smoker
• You work at a petrol station
• You work in any profession that is frequently exposed to VOCs (e.g. a renovation contractor)

Because your benzene and VOCs exposure would’ve eclipsed anything Pasir Gudang can throw at you.
Wall paints in their liquid state typically give off a high amount of VOCs.

What HDB and the Singapore government should tell us
Given the continued commitment of the Singapore government to develop Punggol and the North-east as an ideal place for Singaporeans to live, work and play, our relevant authorities cannot afford to indulge in inaction, operate with fear (of knowing the truth), and serve existing and future residents without accountability to Pasir Gudang’s impact on the town.
Bear in mind that we’re not asking for answers right away, but a promise to the people that there would be some concerted initiative and effort in seeking, and most importantly sharing, more knowledge. The longer we wait to be transparent (e.g. about the numerical concentration of airborne VOCs in the North-east), the more our leadership risks losing all accountability down the road.
And when it comes to more in-depth studies of Pasir Gudang’s impact on Punggol residents and the broader public, one thing’s for sure: Singapore’s universities and research bodies certainly don’t lack any expertise. Studies that have been done in other countries and cities, the ones highlighted in this article, can and should be done in Singapore to ascertain our situation and risks.
Even if the possibility of something bad happening to a resident is as low as winning 4D 1st prize (or as high, depending on how you see it) or as likely as being struck by lightning,Singaporeans still deserve to know.
Comprehensive and transparent studies of atmospheric VOCs in Punggol will go a long way in assuaging our fears and reaffirming our trust in the authorities. Anything less, and Punggol will always be an estate that’s more hype than substance, more risk than reward.
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What HDB didn’t tell you about Punggol (and Pasir Gudang)

Kyle Leung

49 years ago​

[Note: An earlier version of the article misinterpreted the odds equivalent of a 10−4, 10−5 and 10−6 increase in probability, overstating it by a factor of 10. 10−5 should equate to 1 in 100,000 odds (1/100,000), not 1 in 10,000 (1/10,000). We apologise for the error, which has since been corrected.]

With Singaporeans oversubscribing the Punggol HDB projects in the Aug 2018 BTO sales launch, it would seem that the two main concerns about living in the North-eastern tip of Singapore — namely the bad traffic conditions to the CBD and the air pollution from Pasir Gudang petrochemical complex across the Straits of Johor — have been put aside. In this article, we take an in-depth look at Pasir Gudang, to find out what wehaven’t been told about the petrochemical hub.

For those who don’t know yet, Pasir Gudang is an industrial district in Johor, Malaysia with a large concentration of petrochemical industries such as refineries (similar to Singapore’s Jurong Island). The zone dedicated to heavy industries is about 20 square kilometres (sq km) in current size, larger than the areas of Punggol and Sengkang combined (16.5 sq km).
Using Google Maps, we ascertained the distance between the Punggol Point Cove and Punggol Point Woods BTO projects to be about 2.5 to 3km from Pasir Gudang factories closest to the Malaysian shore.Previous BTO projects such as Northshore Cove (Feb 2017 launch) are situated even nearer to Pasir Gudang’s petrochemical plants. Johor Port, where hazardous petrochemical products are shipped to and from Pasir Gudang, is located directly opposite Punggol Point Jetty (the tip of Punggol) and just over 1km away.
Pasir Gudang sits in the shadow of HDB’s latest housing projects. Credit: Herman Wu
Something in the air

Because of the concentration of petrochemical activities in Pasir Gudang, Singaporeans living in the north-east have at various times reported “chemical smells”. What they are smelling is actually a mixture of sulfur dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The odour can be acrid and gas-like, and residents — some from as far as Ang Mo Kio due to north-easterly prevailing winds — have reported experiencing headaches, eye irritation, itchy throat and other respiratory conditions that correspond to symptoms experienced during and after exposure to airborne chemicals. Exposure to airborne VOCs has also been known to trigger asthma attacks in sufferers.
And no, these reactions aren’t psychological. A 2015 Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment by Lotte Chemical Titan, which operates one of the largest petrochemical facilities in Pasir Gudang, found that the measured values of some VOCs within the plant’s premises exceeded “odour threshold values”, owing to the large number of similar oleochemical plants in the area. During the inter-monsoon months and the Northeast Monsoon (October through to May every year), prevailing winds from the north means that Punggol residents are directly subject to the odour of the higher-than-threshold VOCs from Pasir Gudang, the health impact of which we’ll further examine later.
Hourly variation of surface wind speed (m/s) and direction for each month (1981-2010 average). Credit: weather.gov.sg
Petrochemical plants also frequently perform “flaring”, the controlled burning of waste gases generated during the petrochemical production process. For Punggol residents, blazing flames from chimneys lighting up the night sky and faint roars from the chimney stacks are common sights and sounds. The by-products of flaring — large amounts of carbon dioxide — do not necessarily pose an immediate health hazard, although residents are probably witnessing global warming in motion.
What the Singapore government says

Airborne VOCs in high enough concentrations can be toxic to humans who inhale them. Although Singaporeans affected by the stench have repeatedly expressed their worry that the gases might be harmful to health, the Singapore National Environment Agency (NEA) has so far dismissed any reason for alarm. For the chemical smell reported in September 2017, the NEA assured the public that its air monitoring stations “detected only low and safe levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)” that are “well within international safety guidelines”. No figures were given, nor were the safety guidelines elaborated upon.
The need for facts and figures

The concern about Pasir Gudang, beyond physical irritations, is the potential for the VOCs to cause long-term damage to the health of residents of Punggol (who are literally on the front-line should an accident or major incident happen in Pasir Gudang). Going back to the incident in September 2017, the source of the more intense than usual chemical smell was traced to a fire at a Lotte Chemical Titan facility at Pasir Gudang (see below video of fire). The petrochemical giant was subsequently issued a stop-work order by the Malaysian authorities for the incident, but not before afflicting millions of Singaporeans with chemical fumes that was released during the incident.

Such incidents, which trigger a larger than normal release of VOCs to the atmosphere, is commonly called an “emission event” in industry-speak. According to an industry insider we spoke to, these “emission events” are common (they don’t necessary have to involve fires). In Texas, USA, theemission events reported in 2010accounted for about 15% of VOCs and sulfur dioxide released that year, from across the state’s refineries, chemical plants, and natural gas facilities.
So, we felt it was necessary to delve into scientific research to ascertain the effects of living in the shadow of Pasir Gudang, for Punggol residents and also for all Singaporeans. From computational simulations to real-world studies, our findings were a revelation.
But first, what are VOCs made up of?

If you’ve ever visited a petrol station and smelled petrol, you’re effectively inhaling VOCs*. VOCs easily turn into vapour state, and what is widely-regarded as the most harmful component of petrochemical VOCs is benzene, along with toluene and xylene. The three VOCs are known as BTX; there are several BTX producing facilities in Pasir Gudang, and Lotte Chemical Titan has began operations at a new BTX plant in 2018 as part of its latest expansion, producing 134,000 tonnes of BTX a year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “benzene is carcinogenic to humans, and no safe level of exposure can be recommended”. (Carcinogenic means that a compound or substance may cause cancer in humans.) As airborne particles,the WHO states that, as a guide, the concentrations of benzene associated with an excess lifetime risk of leukaemia of 10−4, 10−5 and 10−6 are 17, 1.7 and 0.17 μg/m3, respectively, where μg refers to microgram (1 gram = 1000000 microgram).
Put it another way, a constant exposure to 17 μg/m3 of airborne benzene will give you an additional 1/10,000 chance of getting leukaemia, a cancer of the blood. An constant exposure to 1.7 μg/m3 of airborne benzene, on the other hand, will give you an additional 1/100,000 chance of getting leukaemia. The odds of 1/10,000 is the chance of striking a 1st prize in 4D with a matching number, whereas 1/100,000 is roughly the odds of being struck and killed by lightning in your lifetime.
While the chances of getting leukaemia due to benzene in VOCs can be expressed in terms of striking lottery or meeting with an unlikely accident in your lifetime, a more accurate example would be expressing it in terms of population.For a town of 200,000 population that has a 1.7 μg/m3 concentration of airborne benzene on average, it is estimated that about two more people in that population will develop leukaemia in their lifetimes (i.e. two people + a baseline figure).
For Punggol residents, the amount of airborne benzene the town receives will likely determine the odds of the leukaemia lottery among the town’s unwilling participants. The town currently has about 150,000 residents, and the figure is set to double in a decade’s time.
*Scientific studies conclusively show that petrol station workers have a marked increase in risk of cancer.
Finding a mini Punggol and Pasir Gudang… in Sweden

But first, without any figures from NEA, we need to find out how much benzene is actually found in the air in a similar real-world situation to Punggol, with an example that is as close to Punggol and Pasir Gudang as possible.
That first lead us to the south-western part of Sweden. Like Punggol, Ödsmål is a town — albeit a low-rise one — located 3km downwind from a petrochemical industrial area totalling about 2.5 sq km.
“Exposed areas”: three areas (North, Central, and South) in the municipality of Stenungsund and the municipality of Odsmal, 3 km north of Stenungsund in the direction of the prevailing winds from the industrial sites. The black areas represent the location of the petrochemical plants. Residential areas are marked with pink colour. Reference: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2013 Apr; 10(4): 1418–1438.
The experiment: In 2006 and 2007, a group of researchers — paper in Swedish but we got it translated for our own understanding — measured the level of common VOCs in Ödsmål throughout the year using portable ground level apparatus. (It must be noted that average wind speeds in Ödsmål is about twice the speed of winds experienced in Singapore.)
What was found: The average annual mean of airborne benzene recorded in Ödsmål is 0.77 μg/m3.Toluene and xylene were not measured. With exposure to this concentration to airborne benzene, we estimate that at least 1 person out of about every 250,000in the population would develop leukaemia in their lifetimes. Given that the population of Ödsmål is only a little over 600, it would seem that they have nothing much to worry about.
However, the most concerning thing we found here isn’t the amount of airborne benzene detected, but the fact that the researchers had found benzene levels to be abnormally high in Ödsmål in January 2007. In this particular month, several elevated concentrations (11 to 58 μg/m3) of airborne benzene were detected. Lasting for a few hours each time, the researchers traced the elevated concentrations, or emission events, to an incident where two major petrochemical facilities nearby had lost power.
Typically, when a petrochemical facility experiences a power failure and has to start up again, large amounts of VOCs are released into the air. We can only hope that Pasir Gudang’s power grid is as good as ours, although power outages there have indeed happened a few times over the past years (many of which aren’t reported and remain unknown to the authorities).
The differences between Ödsmål and Punggol:

• The area of the petrochemical operations near Ödsmål is about eight times smaller than that of Pasir Gudang
• The wind speeds around Ödsmål are higher than what Punggol experiences
• The area separating the petrochemical operations near Ödsmål consists of forest tree cover, whereas open water spans Pasir Gudang and Punggol. airborne VOCs can travel further distances without tree cover
• Unlike Ödsmål, Punggol consists of high-rise residential developments. Higher storeys might be subject to higher concentrations of VOCs

What does it mean for Punggol?
While we cannot draw a direct parallel between the two towns, we know for sure that petrochemical facilities do indeed have an impact on neighbouring communities, especially in instances of emission events. In fact, in a separate 2013 study on Ödsmål residents, over 4 in 10 expressed worry about the health effects of industrial pollution in their area, compared to 1 in 10 from a control group. It’d be interesting to see a similar survey on Punggol residents, compared to those living in the rest of Singapore.
A worst-case scenario through the lens of Ulsan

The city of Ulsan in South Korea.
Sometimes, computer simulations can paint more useful scenarios than simply observing the real-world. Wanting to know how VOCs would be dispersed over a radius, a group of Korean researchers applied advanced computer modelling tools to the city of Ulsan. Their objective was to use real-world data, including myriad weather data and data from past accidents, to “assess the risk caused by an accidental release and dispersion of the toxic chemical benzene in the vicinity of a highly populated urban area”.
The researchers assumed the source of the accidental emission of benzene to be located at the center of the Ulsan Petrochemical Industrial Complex, which is within 3–5 km of heavily populated downtown Ulsan (about the distance between Pasir Gudang and Punggol Central).
The experiment: Benzene is simulated to have been released from a tank 3 metres in diameter and 5 metres in height at an emission rate of 94 grams per second. The simulated release of benzene was done at two timings, one at 1pm local time, and the other at 1am local time.
Without diving into complex mathematical equations, this was how the study was executed: the simulator ran the data from five consecutive August summer months* (from 2009 to 2013). A set of 155 simulations (31 days over 5 years) were conducted to derive the 1-hour average ground-level benzene concentrations for each case, which were then averaged to determine the mean August concentration for a given day.
*Ulsan’s average daytime and nighttime wind speeds are identical to Singapore’s, although max daytime wind speeds in Ulsan are about 20% higher.
What was found: For us laymen, there were two surprising discoveries. Wind does play a huge part, but not in the way we had expected. First, the study found that a higher wind speed resulted in a smaller radius of dispersion of airborne benzene, whereas a lower wind speed resulted in a larger radius of airborne benzene dispersion. This is because a higher wind speed doesn’t allow the benzene plume to rise high into the atmosphere and disperse further, contradicting our earlier assumption that the reverse was true.
In the daytime in particular, the smaller radius of dispersion of airborne benzene at higher wind speeds also means that the “high concentration region” of airborne benzene (46 μg/m3) is confined within a smaller radius of the source (1.2km in the study). This is good news for Punggol residents, but only in the day. For Pasir Gudang, a slower northernly wind — which is most common at night — is more likely to transport the high concentration of airborne benzene to Punggol and extend the total impact or airborne benzene further inland. This is made worse by the fact that rising heat given off by buildings at night help airborne benzene travel further — the second discovery that took us by surprise.
Here’s a visual representation of the difference between day and night in Ulsan’s case. (The largest circle denotes a 10km from the source; inner circles denote 5km, 3km, 2km and 1km.)
Comparison between the average and highest 1-hour benzene concentration obtained from the multiple simulations conducted in August 2009–2013. (a) and (b) illustrate the average distributions for the daytime (1300 LST) and the nighttime (0100 LST), respectively. (c) and (d) are the same as (a) and (b), but illustrate the highest concentrations. Reference: Atmospheric Environment Volume 144, November 2016, Pages 146-159

What does it mean for Punggol?
Well, scratch that. How about what does it mean for Singapore? We say this because anything bad that happens in Pasir Gudang will, over the course of 24 hours, likely affect vast areas of Singapore, especially given these three “perfect storm” combination of factors that count against us: wind from the North; wind speeds dipping at night; heat rising from buildings in Punggol, all of which increases the radius of airborne benzene dispersion. Bam! So, while Punggol (and Sengkang) residents might feel the maximum wrath of benzene in the nighttime given a worst-case scenario (like the fire at Lotte Chemical Titan), it’s likely they won’t be the only ones choking.
So… will Pasir Gudang kill us?

Well, a multiyear Taiwan study published in 2006 might give us a bit of definitive clarity as to which group of people stands to be most affected by living near petrochemical industries.
The experiment: To explore the relationship between residential petrochemical exposure and risk of leukemia, the Taiwanese researchers conducted a study in four areas with petrochemical plants. The researchers defined the four areas as “potentially exposed areas” that were within a 3km radius of any of the four petrochemical complexes. The subjects of the study were residents who lived in these potentially exposed areas, as well as residents from elsewhere who formed a control group. Each resident was assigned a “residential petrochemical exposure” factor (i.e. risk factor) depending on the following:

• The duration of stay at his/her place of residence
• The distance of each residence from petrochemical plants
• Monthly prevailing wind direction
• Petrochemical pollution sources

What was found: Among study participants under the age of 20, there was no link between increasing residential petrochemical exposure and risk of leukaemia. Among study participants between the ages of 20 and 29, however, increasing residential petrochemical exposure was positively associated with the risk of leukaemia.
The researchers concluded that higher levels of residential petrochemical exposure appeared to elevate the risk of developing leukaemia among individuals between the ages of 20 and 29 years, but did not appear to affect risk among children.
In another Taiwanese study published in March 2018, researchers found that “elderly and female residents living within 10 km of a petrochemical complex had higher carcinogenic exposure and cancers than those living farther away from the complex after the complex had been operating for 10 years”. The study also highlighted other potentially carcinogenic pollutants other than benzene, such as heavy metals. (FYI: 10km from Pasir Gudang would include the whole of Hougang, almost all of Ang Mo Kio and parts of Serangoon.)
Are there any other studies that show no ill effects of living near a petrochemical complex, then?

We did try to find “no effect” studies, but these seemed few and far between. A1999 UK study did find that there was no significant increase in the risk of leukaemia within 2 km or 7.5 km of seven petrochemical sites locally. It did, however, find a weak link between the risk of Hodgkin’s disease and proximity to major petrochemical industry.
But bear in mind that none of these findings would matter if…

• You are a smoker
• You work at a petrol station
• You work in any profession that is frequently exposed to VOCs (e.g. a renovation contractor)

Because your benzene and VOCs exposure would’ve eclipsed anything Pasir Gudang can throw at you.
Wall paints in their liquid state typically give off a high amount of VOCs.

What HDB and the Singapore government should tell us

Given the continued commitment of the Singapore government to develop Punggol and the North-east as an ideal place for Singaporeans to live, work and play, our relevant authorities cannot afford to indulge in inaction, operate with fear (of knowing the truth), and serve existing and future residents without accountability to Pasir Gudang’s impact on the town.
Bear in mind that we’re not asking for answers right away, but a promise to the people that there would be some concerted initiative and effort in seeking, and most importantly sharing, more knowledge. The longer we wait to be transparent (e.g. about the numerical concentration of airborne VOCs in the North-east), the more our leadership risks losing all accountability down the road.
And when it comes to more in-depth studies of Pasir Gudang’s impact on Punggol residents and the broader public, one thing’s for sure: Singapore’s universities and research bodies certainly don’t lack any expertise. Studies that have been done in other countries and cities, the ones highlighted in this article, can and should be done in Singapore to ascertain our situation and risks.
Even if the possibility of something bad happening to a resident is as low as winning 4D 1st prize (or as high, depending on how you see it) or as likely as being struck by lightning,Singaporeans still deserve to know.
Comprehensive and transparent studies of atmospheric VOCs in Punggol will go a long way in assuaging our fears and reaffirming our trust in the authorities. Anything less, and Punggol will always be an estate that’s more hype than substance, more risk than reward.
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Punggol WILL ALWAYS be a shithole due to its location. There is no fucking way u can get to town easily. Unless u take a helicopter.

The whole Punggol estate is one boring stinking mess. I have been there once, and it has the personality of an hourly rate escort without the looks!

Move out lo, stamp stamp fee money comes rolling in. Impossible demand msia govt to cease the petrol chem operation in pasir gudang.

How about forrest burning in indo? Nbz still happening.

Scrooball (clone) said:

Punggol WILL ALWAYS be a shithole due to its location. There is no fucking way u can get to town easily. Unless u take a helicopter.

The whole Punggol estate is one boring stinking mess. I have been there once, and it has the personality of an hourly rate escort without the looks!

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That is scholar town planning for u. Pap bestest

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The Big Read: From the boondocks to waterfront town, Punggol grapples with growing pains and traffic jams




SingaporeThe Big Read: From the boondocks to waterfront town, Punggol grapples with growing pains and traffic jams
As Punggol morphs into one of the largest housing estates in Singapore with a slew of new developments, many say its transport woes continue to persist unabated.
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Slip road on Tampines Expressway into Punggol. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
By Victor Loh
19 Nov 2018 12:00AM(Updated: 19 Nov 2018 06:20AM)
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SINGAPORE: Travelling from Sengkang to Punggol should take 20 minutes by bus, but for Ms Denise Wong’s husband, the journey home typically lasts an hour.
"My husband is already exhausted after work, and the traffic jam tires him out even more,” the 33-year-old homemaker lamented.

In the five years since they bought a new Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat at Punggol Way, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and North East Line serving the town have also gotten more crowded, Ms Wong said.

In fact, she is already thinking about moving out of the new town, which has become too “hot and crowded” due to the urban sprawl:
“The transportation, facilities and malls are not growing as fast as the population. That has caused a lot of inconvenience,” she said.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A man looking at a model of new flats at the HDB Hub. (File photo: TODAY/Ooi Boon Keong)


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The traffic congestion also serves as a real headache for Ms Alia Mohamed, who has lived at Edgedale Plains for over a year and drives to Suntec City for work.
“It will take me 15 to 20 minutes if I travel to work on the weekends. During the weekdays, it can take an hour,” the 33-year-old facilities manager said.
The traffic congestion in Punggol has been a long-standing problem, having first surfaced at least five years ago. In 2013, Punggol residents griped about the pace of transport infrastructure improvements, which they felt were lagging behind the population boom.
As Punggol morphs into one of the largest housing estates in Singapore with a slew of new developments — it is projected to be twice the size of Ang Mo Kio — its transport woes continue to persist unabated. The ongoing road works to help the transport infrastructure play catch-up further adds to the congestion and inconvenience, much to the chagrin of residents.
It was not too long ago when the mere mention of “Punggol” brought to mind the boondocks. Back in 1970s and 80s, pig farms were a common sight in Punggol, recalled 44-year-old Lee Ngee Chong.
“My relatives and grandparents used to live in attap houses in Punggol. Every Sunday, (my family and I) will drive up to the ‘countryside’ and Upper Serangoon Road was the only way to Punggol, so this place has many memories for me,” Mr Lee said with a chuckle.
Life has come a full circle for the self-employed Mr Lee, who has been living in a four-room HDB flat at Punggol Way with his family for the past five years. They had moved from Toa Payoh, where they had stayed for over 20 years.
While he finds the environment in Punggol to be relaxing, the traffic congestion is a major annoyance for him — enough for him to also consider moving out.
Last week, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced that a new link road connecting Punggol Central to Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) and Tampines Expressway (TPE) will open on Nov 25, almost a year ahead of schedule.
In June last year, the LTA also brought forward the opening date of Punggol Coast MRT Station from 2030 to 2023 — a good seven years — to beef up transport infrastructure in the area.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
A new link road connects Punggol Central to the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway and Tampines Expressway. (Photo: Land Transport Authority)

The station will serve residential estates in the Northshore District and Punggol Point District, in time for the first batch of 5,300 Build-to-Order units across seven projects due to be completed in 2020.
Long-time resident Dominic Cheong, who has lived in Punggol for over 20 years, said that while he is looking forward to the new link road, he expects it to be insufficient in just a few years.
The 56-year-old businessman said:
Punggol’s journey from a sleepy district to a spanking new waterfront town began way back in 1996, when then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong first announced the idea to develop Punggol. But the project — known as “Punggol 21” — got off to a rocky start due to the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998.
The vision for Punggol was rebooted in 2007 with the “Punggol 21-plus” project unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The goal is to transform the area into a waterfront town of the 21st century.
Of the 11 districts in Punggol, seven feature waterfront living. Of the seven waterfront housing districts, five have been launched, while the remaining two will be located at an inland stretch bordering Coney Island and in the area of the current prawn-fishing spot at Tebing Lane.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
The Waterway View housing project in Punggol (Photo: ADDP)

Since then, the Government has sought to ensure that the amenities in Punggol have kept pace with the rapidly growing resident population.
To date, there are two shopping centres in Punggol: Waterway Point and Punggol Plaza, while a third commercial neighbourhood centre — Oasis Terraces — also houses one of Singapore's largest polyclinics.
By 2021, the upcoming Punggol Town Hub— which includes a hawker centre, regional library, childcare centre and healthcare facilities — and the Punggol Regional Sports Centre will also be ready.
READ: Strong political commitment to housing is precisely what younger Singaporeans need, a commentary
BURGEONING POPULATION
Punggol currently has nearly 50,000 HDB flats, and the number is set to rise rapidly over the next few years. HDB’s latest annual report showed that the number of dwelling units in Punggol is projected to ultimately double to 96,000.
Over the past decade, the residential population in Punggol has almost tripled from 54,560 in 2008 to 161,570 as of June this year, based on data from the Singapore Department of Statistics. This is close to the population size in Ang Mo Kio (165,710).
Until the new link road opens, Punggol has only three major arterial roads leading to the TPE and KPE — Punggol Way, Punggol Road, Punggol East — for its residents.
In comparison, Ang Mo Kio is served by the Central Expressway, Yio Chu Kang Road, and Upper Thomson Road. These are, in turn, connected to five arterial roads (Ang Mo Kio Avenues 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6).
In 2013, the LTA said that road improvement works would be implemented when necessary to “enhance the public transport services as necessary in accordance with the pace of developments in the area”.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Peak hour traffic jams on the expressways into Punggol are common. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Such road improvement works, however, offer little comfort for Mr Lee who said:
Mr Lee added: “The road widening creates a lot of hindrances and inconveniences for the road users, as well as for the residents because of the dust and noise. They should have planned ahead and do (the road works) once and for all.”
Ms Wong reiterated that the infrastructure in Punggol has not been growing in tandem with the residential population, while Mr Kok Chee Mun — who has lived in the area for nearly 20 years — noted that the Asian Financial Crisis had slowed Punggol’s growth, and the town was making up for lost time.
“The development of Punggol is similar to the growth of other towns such as Yishun when it was a new estate, so these teething problems are expected," said the 62-year old watchmaker in Mandarin.
STRIDES MADE IN IMPROVING AMENITIES
The traffic congestion aside, most residents said that strides have been made to improve amenities in the estate, such as childcare centres, schools, healthcare facilities and food outlets.
As of June 2018, Punggol had the highest proportion of children aged below five years in Singapore, at 10.3 per cent, or 16,700 children.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Children at NTUC My First Skool in Edgefield Plains. (Photo: MCI)

According to data from the Early Childhood Development Agency, there are 57 childcare centres in Punggol at the end of the first half of this year, compared to 53 at the end of 2017. The 57 centres have a capacity for 9,743 children, which is one of the highest in Singapore.
In comparison, only 3.4 per cent of Ang Mo Kio residents, or 5,660, were below five years old. The 68 childcare centres in the estate have a capacity for 7,825 children.
In September this year, the Ministry of Education announced that Yusof Ishak Secondary School will be permanently relocated from its existing Bukit Batok site to Punggol in 2021 to meet the demand for secondary school places in the newer housing estate.
The Singapore Institute of Technology will also move to its Punggol North campus come 2023, which will sit alongside a business park in the district.
The SingHealth polyclinic at Oasis Terraces, which officially opened on May 23 this year, is focused on women’s and children’s health, given the relatively high number of young families in the estate. Besides medical and dental care, the polyclinic also offers physiotherapy and podiatry services.
Ms Shoba Dayalan, a Punggol resident since 2007, said that her family used to travel to Sengkang to visit the polyclinic there.
“It was very troublesome (before the Punggol polyclinic opened). Previously, there were also very few general practitioners in Punggol. The number of clinics has now increased," the 39-year-old homemaker said.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Registration counters at Punggol Polyclinic. (Photo: Gwyneth Teo)

And while some residents cited the lack of competition for the high prices of groceries at the only wet market at Punggol Plaza, the prevalence of online grocers and supermarkets sprouting around Punggol have alleviated the problem somewhat.
“It's not fashionable to have wet markets now,” said Mr Kok, the 20-year resident of Punggol. “It is a good-to-have, but not a must-have.”
Halal food options in coffee shops are also sorely lacking, some Muslim residents said.
At the end of the day, many residents said that the growth of the town has to be moderated, and a balance has to be struck between the new developments and preserving the tranquillity of Punggol.
“I hope the Government preserves the greenery at Punggol," said Ms Alia. She added: “However, it can also be scary if the estate is too quiet.”
READ: Head out and enjoy Singapore's nature spots, a commentary
EASING THE PAIN POINTS
In 2013, Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Teo Ser Luck said that the transport infrastructure in Punggol “must be aligned with the town development itself”.
“If not, there will always be one catching up with the other,” he said.
Apart from the new link road connecting Punggol Central to the TPE and KPE, there are existing works for an additional exit point from the TPE into Punggol, MP Sun Xueling, who looks after the Punggol West area, said.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
(From left to right) Senior Parliamentary Secretary Ms Sun Xueling, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, Minister Ng Chee Meng and Mr Teo Ser Luck.

“In the longer term, with more developments in the northern and in the western parts of Punggol, we are looking into new road infrastructure works to cater to increased activity in these areas,” she added.
Punggol resident Ms Wong suggested increasing the frequency of the town’s LRT service.
“There are only two cabins for the Punggol LRT. Besides the residents, many foreign workers working on the new developments in Punggol also use the LRT, which makes it very crowded,” she said.
Ms Wong added: “The queues can get quite ridiculous. Besides increasing the frequency of the trains, the authorities should consider increasing (the two-cabin trains) to four cabins.”
While the lagging transport infrastructure was a main bugbear for many residents, Mr Cheong felt that it was not only the hardware that needs improvement.
THE PRICE AND REWARDS OF DEVELOPMENT
Amid its rapid growth, Punggol’s “kampung spirit” has been lost, Mr Cheong said. He believes that the hawker centre at the upcoming Punggol Town Hub is one place to foster such a community spirit.
“It will also be good to have (another) wet market. The current one at Punggol Plaza isn’t really a wet market, and I think some people miss having the ‘kampung spirit’ at these places,” he said.

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Waterway Cascadia in Punggol. (Photo: Aqil Haziq Mahmud)

As Punggol develops at a breakneck speed, some long-time residents are witnessing — before their very eyes — the tension between development and preserving the things they used to love about the area.
Mr Cheong reminisced that he used to be able to see the Straits of Johor from his unit at Punggol Field, which is near the TPE. The town’s skyline had also changed dramatically in his 20 years in Punggol, he said.
“When I first moved in, Punggol was like a ghost town. You could even hear the wild dogs barking at night. Punggol felt more laid-back then,” he added:
Ms Isabelle Lim, 22, who has lived in the estate for the past 11 years with her parents, described Punggol’s growth as “a little painful”.
Still, the student at Singapore Management University acknowledged that “with more people also comes more amenities, and the amenities are nice”.
“My family and I used to like Punggol because it was quiet, but now that Punggol is quite self-sufficient, living here is relatively convenient,” she added.
Source: TODAY/sl
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• Punggol
• traffic
• HDB
• transportation

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Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...continue-unabated-crowded-facilities-10943172

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...continue-unabated-crowded-facilities-10943172

Singapore
The Big Read: From the boondocks to waterfront town, Punggol grapples with growing pains and traffic jams

As Punggol morphs into one of the largest housing estates in Singapore with a slew of new developments, many say its transport woes continue to persist unabated.


Slip road on Tampines Expressway into Punggol. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

By Victor Loh
19 Nov 2018 12:00AM (Updated: 19 Nov 2018 06:20AM)

SINGAPORE: Travelling from Sengkang to Punggol should take 20 minutes by bus, but for Ms Denise Wong’s husband, the journey home typically lasts an hour.

"My husband is already exhausted after work, and the traffic jam tires him out even more,” the 33-year-old homemaker lamented.

In the five years since they bought a new Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat at Punggol Way, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and North East Line serving the town have also gotten more crowded, Ms Wong said.

In fact, she is already thinking about moving out of the new town, which has become too “hot and crowded” due to the urban sprawl:

“The transportation, facilities and malls are not growing as fast as the population. That has caused a lot of inconvenience,” she said.

PAP's pride. CECA Indians. Lol

Traffic jam...easy solution

28,000 New Tech Jobs For Indians @ Punggol

https://www.businessinsider.sg/sing...e-digital-economy-heres-what-it-will-be-like/
Singapore’s new Punggol Digital District promises 28,000 jobs for the digital economy – here’s what it will be like

Jessica Lin
January 22, 2018

Punggol looks set to become Singapore’s Silicon Valley.

A masterplan for the upcoming Punggol Digital District (PDD) revealed on Sunday (Jan 21) gave a peek into Singapore’s plans to make the north-east region a key driver of digital competitiveness.

Development for the PDD in Punggol North is set to begin this year, and is expected to help create 28,000 jobs in different sectors of the digital economy by completion.



GIIS Global Indian International School @ Punggol

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...d-by-burning-of-rubber-material-global-indian
Punggol construction site fire likely caused by burning of rubber material: Global Indian International School

Published
May 17, 2017, 2:25 pm SGT
Melissa Lin

SINGAPORE - The fire that broke out at a Punggol construction site on Tuesday (May 16) appeared to have been caused by the burning of rubber.

The rubber was meant for water retention tanks that were to be installed in the carpark of the Global Indian International School (GIIS) site, the school said in a statement on Wednesday.

Punggol21... Teehee...

This is a excellent location for silicon valley rival.
If PAP had imported prc chinese, punggol would turn into another huge brothel.

syed putra said:

This is a excellent location for silicon valley rival.
If PAP had imported prc chinese, punggol would turn into another huge brothel.

Click to expand...

If the govt bring in female shitskins the brothel will bigger than Geylang. If they bring in male shitskins it will be rape capital. If they bring in mudslimes, it will be blown up. Should have brought in ang mors... Ang mor the best as boss Sam say...

From the boondocks to waterfront town, Punggol grapples with growing pains and traffic jams
As Punggol morphs into one of the largest housing estates in Singapore with a slew of new developments, many say its transport woes continue to persist unabated.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...continue-unabated-crowded-facilities-10943172

Punggol slummers, why complain so much... You want cheap property of course it comes with inconvenience lot. If not move to city fringe lor. KPKB for fug.