Report on the meeting on “Possibility of Employing the technology of rubber check dams for water regulation in Kole lands of Thrissur”.
Kole lands of Thrissur, a unique wetland ecosystem, are a classic example of below sea level farming. The existing system of water regulation in Kole lands is through temporary structures made of soil, locally available materials like bamboo and wooden shutters, which are scarce and difficult to operate necessitating skilled labour, resulting in high recurring cost. Hence employing an alternate permanent structure for serving as bunds in Kole lands for water regulation is a felt need by the various stakeholders of the system. The concept of employing Rubber bund for water regulation in Kole lands originated in this context.
It is in this context that, Directorate of Research, Kerala Agricultural University convened a meeting on “Possibility of Employing the technology of rubber check dams for water regulation in Kole lands of Thrissur”, at conference Hall, KAU, Headquarters on 19/12/2019. The meeting was chaired by Honorable Minister for Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare. Dr. Susant Kumar Jena, Principal Scientist and subject matter expert in Rubber Check Dam Technology, ICAR-IIWM, Bhubaneswar, Odisha made a presentation on “Feasibility of ICAR Flexi Rubber check dams in Kole lands of Kerala”. Scientists of KAU, Engineers of Major and minor Irrigation Department and officers of Department of Agriculture Development and Farmers’ Welfare, GoK, were present.
ICAR flexible check dam is an inflatable structure built across a stream used for water conservation, flood control and regulating flow of water in the stream. The structure of rubber bunds exists of a concrete foundation with head wall extension, side wall and wing wall of a normal check dam. The head wall is replaced by a textile reinforced rubber composite dam body which consists of two layers of nylon with a thickness of 8 mm, which renders strength to the rubber dam unless intentional, rubber dams cannot be damaged naturally and minor damages can be easily repaired. It can withstand temperatures up to 75°C and will not be corroded by salinity. The height of the bunds can be adjusted according to the water level. During flood and high tide, it can also prevent salt water intrusion into the fresh water system. The rubber check dam has high flexibility and durability is an ideal ecofriendly technology that can be implemented in Kole lands for water regulation and this technology has already been disseminated in the States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Odisha. The feasibility of the technology in Kole lands is to be examined.
