Agartala flood mitigation project wins first prize in IAS training programme
Jul 18, 2024
Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 18 : The Agartala flood mitigation project, which focused on addressing severe waterlogging issues during the rainy season, has won the first prize at the IAS Training Programme.
The programme was organised at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, from June 18-July 13 this year.
83 IAS officers from 23 different cadre states, spanning batches from 2000 to 2009, participated in the programme, and they were required to submit a case study.
Kiran Gitte, an IAS officer from the 2005 batch of the Tripura cadre, submitted a case study on the flood mitigation measures in Agartala City, based on his tenure as Secretary of Urban Development and Chairman of Agartala Smart City from 2019 to 2022.
The project focused on addressing severe waterlogging issues during the rainy season through various initiatives, including the installation of drainage pumps, diesel-operated pumps, underground pipelines, mechanised cleaning of drains, construction of new drains, sluice gates, and 24/7 real-time monitoring via the Integrated Command and Control Centre of Agartala Smart City.
As a result of these efforts, the average waterlogging time in Agartala was reduced from 2-3 days to less than one hour, even after heavy rainfall of up to 150 mm. This case study was awarded the first prize among the 83 submissions during the training course at LBSNAA in Mussoorie.
Meanwhile, Assam continues to be battered by floods, affecting thousands of people across the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently held discussions with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat in separate telephonic conversations on Monday.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), 97 people have died during this year's flood in the state so far.
The flood situation is improving across the state and the water levels of the rivers are also receding, but 3.55 lakh people in 14 districts are still affected by the deluge.
823 villages under 37 revenue circles are still under water.
