first bricks for Ion were even laid. It did concede that with Orchard Road nearly completely urbanised, the drains designed to service it have also maxed out.

As for the barrage, the Government says it has helped keep Chinatown, Boat Quay and other low-lying city areas free from flash floods. In any case, the upper end of Orchard Road is too far to have any impact on the barrage, PUB said.

Perhaps that exercise to raise roads after last year's floods channelled water to the Tanglin and Cuscaden stretches, the Orchard Road Business Association contended.

No, the situation could be far worse if not for the raised roads, countered PUB. Cuscaden also sits on a higher plane, so water should be flowing down to Orchard Road instead, it added.

PUB has sincesaid that this year's flood was caused by a smaller drain at Grange Road that overflowed. It also said there were inadequate drainage pumps in buildings such as Tanglin Mall and Liat Towers, failing to keep the water out.

After last year's floodings in Orchard Road, PUB had first said it was a clogged drain. Then, it conceded that the 4km long Stamford Canal simply couldn't cope with all that rain that came pouring down in two hours.

The truth is that one year after the first spate of Orchard Road floods, no one - not even the experts in government - seems able to give a conclusive answer on what led to the floodings.

Was it because rainfall patterns had changed? While the Government said the rain last week was