Chhatrapur: The district administration is mulling on how to get rid of perennial waterlogging problems in Aska town. Since 1990, the town has been witnessing waterlogging during monsoons and cyclones. District Collector Dibyajyoti Parida has recently sent two proposals to the additional secretary and the chief engineer of Water Resources department, requesting them to approve both. Aska town is flanked by Rushikulya river and Badanadi.
In 1990, a massive flood devastated the town. The entire town virtually went under water for a substantial period of time. During cyclones ‘Phailin’ in 2013 and ‘Titli’ in 2018, the town was badly affectedly due to waterlogging. Normal life in the town was hit for days together. Keeping in mind this problem, a technical team was formed in 2019 following a directive from the then-district collector to look into the problems that caused waterlogging. The team studied the situation and submitted report on the issue in August 2019. The team advised the superintendent engineer of the Bhanjanagar irrigation division, the executive officer of Aska NAC, tehsildar and the executive engineer of the Berhampur drainage division to take steps at their own level to stop waterlogging. The Berhampur drainage division then put forth two proposals. It proposed setting up of pump houses, sumps and panel rooms near Badua creek, Badanadi, Tipisira creek and Sukhanai Haj. It said that the pumps could be used to drain out water during floods and cyclones. A similar proposal has been sent by the Bhubaneswar drainage circle to the additional chief engineer of the Cuttack division, November 9.
The other proposal is the renovation of the Tipisira creek. The Berhampur drainage division has drawn up a blueprint of the project. Once the renovation is completed water from Tipisira creek will drain out into the Badanadi, it was stated.