Hawkers in Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre Claim Water & Bugs from Garden Roof Landed on Their Stalls

Last Updated on 2023-05-05 , 4:15 pm

The Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre in Sembawang, opened in December 2022, boasts an eco-friendly design and a stunning rooftop garden that evokes a tropical ambience, offering diners an immersive nature dining experience.

Nonetheless, the green structure has drawn criticism from some hawkers as at least four of them have reported issues with rainwater leaks and bugs falling from the roof garden.

While the concept of a rooftop garden atop a hawker centre was initially appealing for its aesthetics, 47-year-old stall owner Ms Luo has revealed that the ceiling’s shoddy construction has led to water seeping into the stalls during rainy spells.

Ms Luo stated that water would pour into her stall through gaps in the ceiling, resulting in a “waterfall” effect whenever it rained.

Rooftop Garden Impractical Due to Poor Design

The Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre was finally opened in 2022 after a delay of almost three years due to the pandemic. 

The 44-stall food centre, situated on the former site of Chong Pang Village, has a seating capacity of 800 and boasts an eco-friendly design. 

It is part of a 12-hectare integrated sport and community hub in Sembawang, including an ActiveSG indoor sports hall that opened in October 2022.

However, despite its appealing appearance, the rooftop garden of the hawker centre was reported to be constructed poorly. 

As a result, some stallholders have had to take precautions on rainy days. 

Ms Luo, the stall operator of the Pangkor Island Nasi Lemak outlet in the hawker centre, stated that she has to open two umbrellas and place them upside down on the structural beam above her stall to prevent rainwater from seeping in. 

Nonetheless, this method is not always effective, as heavy downpours can still cause water to seep in.

Water Seepage Causing Damages to Stallholders

Ms Luo had taken a $40,000 loan to start her Pangkor Island Nasi Lemak outlet, expecting the hawker centre’s proximity to the community around Canberra Link to bring good business. 

However, the poor construction of its rooftop garden has caused her significant financial losses.

During a heavy downpour on 17 April 2023, Ms Luo’s stall got completely soaked, despite her efforts to prevent water from seeping in. 

This was not the first time she encountered such an issue. 

In a previous incident, a downpour had caused damage to her cash register and electrical cooker, rendering them unusable after water got into the machines. 

On another occasion, she had to throw away 5kg worth of cooked Nasi Lemak when the rain proved too heavy to control.

These damages and times when she could not open the stall due to water seepage have resulted in significant financial losses. 

On average, Ms Luo has to endure water leaks about three or four times monthly. Whenever the rooftop irrigation system is activated, drops of water, dirt, and even bugs like millipedes would fall into her stall.

The worst incident occurred when water dripping from the ceiling fell into a pot of hot oil, causing its contents to splatter around the stall, and Ms Luo and her husband had to take cover. 

Despite her complaints to the authorities about the rooftop garden, she has yet to see much improvement in the structure.

To temporarily mitigate the issue, Ms Luo plans to buy a tarp to cover the roof of her stall. 

Multiple Complains from Other Stallholders

Other stallholders have also voiced their dissatisfaction with the rooftop gardens at Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre.

Yu Kee Braised Duck’s stallholder shared that rainwater had once dripped onto their stall’s fluorescent light tubes, causing a short circuit. 

Meanwhile, the stall owner of Granny’s Thunder Tea recounted instances where water from the ceiling had dripped onto their customers’ food, resulting in food wastage and financial losses as they had to remake the orders for hygiene reasons.

Another stall owner reported having to discard ingredients contaminated by rainwater on three separate occasions, resulting in around $300 in losses. 

However, he did note that some improvements had been made to the rooftop’s construction after workers visited the hawker centre to conduct repair work, though it remains to be seen if seepage-related issues continue to arise.

Poor Construction in Hawker Centres

Hawker centres have been constructed to control street hawking since 1966.

In 1971, the government set aside $5 million to construct hawker centres.

One of the earliest hawker centres built with modern amenities, plumbing facilities, clean water supply and drainage was the Yung Sheng Food Centre in Jurong in 1972.

Recognising the significance of hawkers and their role in keeping living costs low, the government has prevented existing hawker centres from being repurposed for other uses since.

They also launched a hawker resettlement programme costing over $36.4 million, spanning 15 years.

As of 2023, with the completion of the final centre at Jurong West Street 52 in 1985, there are now 135 markets and hawker centres in Singapore.

However, along with Bukit Canberra Hawker Centre, some hawker establishments still seem to have subpar facilities. 

In March 2023, a man complained about Kebun Baru Market and Food Centre charging 20 cents for their dirty and poorly maintained toilets. 

Although most local hawker centres should now have functional toilets, the man noted that one of the urinals had been broken for a long time, emitting a foul smell.

Reinforcement Works Ongoing

In response to all the stallholders’ complaints, a spokesperson from Sport Singapore (SportSG) has since apologised to the affected stallholders and customers.

The spokesperson acknowledged the issue and informed the hawkers on 27 March 2023 that roof reinforcement works would be done to prevent further water seepage. 

The works are expected to be completed by the end of July 2023. 

Protective coverings have also been placed on the roof temporarily, with care taken to ensure they do not become dislodged during heavy rain. 

Additionally, steps have been taken to prevent bugs and millipedes from intruding into the stores. 

The spokesperson emphasised that they have been working hard to alleviate the inconvenience caused to the stallholders and sought their understanding and patience while assuring them that necessary measures will be taken to prevent such disruptions in future.