Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 21: The state government is mulling to promote the use of Hydram – a Hydraulic Ram Pump for irrigation – among remote tribal communities for irrigation in remote and hilly areas of the state.
A proposal in this regard has been sent by the water resources department to the SC/ST development department for making fund provision for construction of such Hydram which costs around `5 lakh each.
Water resources department additional secretary RS Gopalan, in a letter to commissioner-cum-secretary of the SC/ST department, said: “The Hydraulic Ram Pump is a device which doesn’t need electricity or diesel to pump water but takes kinetic energy available from flowing water and is useful for irrigation and drinking water purpose.”
Officials said the feasibility of this technology has already been checked. “Mayurbhanj irrigation division, Baripada has successfully built and installed this device near the check dam over Mahisumunda nullah in Suliapada block and Marangatandi nullah in Kuliana block of Mayurbhanj district,” the letter said. “There are many remote and hilly areas in our state, where a Hydram will be extremely useful for drinking and irrigation purpose,” the letter added.
Officials of the WR department said the executive engineer of the MI division has successfully gained sufficient knowledge and expertise in building Hydram and will impart training phase-wise to other engineers of the department for use of this pump set in remote and hilly areas.