We are seeking cost-effective means of stopping water hyacinth and other floating substances in rivers from accumulating near the Pump House intake and affecting its operation.
The main source of water to a city is a seasonal river, which is fed by an upstream dam. Water is pumped in from the river through the River Pump House Intake channel for meeting the requirements of the city.
During lean seasons, the river level falls drastically. The lean flow and weather conditions lead to water hyacinth growth (Figure 1) on the riverbed which obstructs the natural flow of the river, especially during summer. In addition, the increasing pollution levels and human interference have resulted in an increase of floating substances in the river. Due to decreased flow and stagnancy in the river, the mouth of the main intake gets choked (Figure 2).
Currently, there is no protection system at the pump intake to stop the Hyacinth & ingress of floating materials from affecting the performance of the system. Existing strainers often get choked. Due to the choking of strainers, pumps underperform and consume more energy. The delivery flow also reduces, which directly impacts the consumers. The pump suction intake requires frequent cleaning and is a risky job as the intake is quite deep in water.
The hyacinth growth also causes stagnancy in the flow, creating breeding spots for flies and mosquitoes, and thereby contaminating the water
Thus, we are seeking solutions for reducing the frequent choking of pump intake by a suitable mechanism for stopping or trapping hyacinth, and other floating substances from reaching the pump intake.
Awards:- INR 3,00,000