Dharakote: Even as it helps the farmers of Ganjam district, the Rushikulya canal originating from the Rushikulya river has become a problem for NH-59 connecting Gopalpur to Raipur.
The canal originates at Janbili in this block and flows into Dakhinpur ghai near Berhampur. The main canal and its branches irrigate hundreds of acres in the district.
Moreover, the Rushikulya river and its canal system have grown immensely as the government has announced that it would set up a mega drinking water project at Janbili. The project will supply drinking water to Silk City.
Although the Rushikulya canal helps agriculture it has become a problem for NH-59. This is due to the fact that a stretch of 500 metres on the NH-59 from Mundamarai to Bhandaribasa gets flooded with canal water during monsoons every year.
Around 10 feet of water floods the stretch during monsoons and disrupts transportation. The reason for this is that the canal lacks a guard wall. Due to this, water overflows on to the highway.
The slush and mud cause accidents on the NH and also damages the highway’s black topping. This creates potholes as the gravel comes out and leads to frequent mishaps. The public here has demanded that the irrigation department should stop the monsoon flooding on the highway.
PNN