'Uttarakhand Koop' fast becoming lifeline of hilly states
Dehra Dun, May 20: An indigenous device for tapping potable water, 'Uttarakhand Koop', which has bagged the prestigious National Urban Water Award for 2008 is fast becoming a hit in other hilly states as well.
"So far, we have installed nearly 1077 such Koops in the state, all of which are working very well. Neighbouring Hiamachal Pradesh would be employing the device shortly," said H P Uniyal, Chief General Manager of Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan and the brain behind the device.
The device, which consists of a hollow cylindrical steel pipe with radial perforated pipes, is now being widely used by the Uttarakhand Jal Sansathan in the hill state where water scarcity remains perennial.
During his recent trip to some European countries, Uniyal said, he presented the idea about the device to some scientists there who appreciated the technique and are studying it further.
The innovative device is based on indigenous technology and taps the sub-surface flow of a stream in all those water-starved areas where handpumps and other water supply machines do not work.
The designing of the Uttarakhand Koop, which is easily transportable, cost-effective and involves less maintenance, has been approved by the Indian Institute of Technology -Roorkee.
Connected with a welded outlet socket at the middle of vertical cylinder for joining outlet pipe, a 1 to 1.5 metre long pipe is placed vertically 3 to 4 metre below the bed of the stream with the bottom end open and the closed end at the top.
The scheme is designed in such a way that it works even during the minimum discharge in streams in the summer and winter months.
This water supply scheme in hilly regions is mostly constructed from rivulets locally known as 'Gadhera' as the water source, which are damaged in the rainy season due to flash floods and landslides.
When water sources are filled with water during rainy season, the intake chamber gets washed away leading to acute water crisis. In such a scenario, Uttarakhand Koop, which is also being appreciated by engineers and scientists, works as lifeline for the people of hilly states.
The device, which can also reduce faecal coliforms by 75 per cent, is placed over impermeable strata of the streams tapping entire alluvial fill. After placing it, the dug space is filled up with graded filter media enveloping the Koop up to the natural bed level of stream.
The base flow of the stream rises inside the cylindrical pipe through its open end and perforated radial pipes due to hydrostatic pressure of the submerged surface and maintains a static level in the cylindrical pipe.
