Rubber dams

The irrigation department of Punjab has come up with a plan of introducing inflatable rubber dams for the eastern rivers in the province. This is a good initiative taken in the right direction for the development of water reservoirs. These dams will not only serve as small water storages, but also, improve the biodiversity of the area. Besides serving as a water storage dam for irrigation purposes, these dams will also help recharge ground water aquifer and improve availability of water for drinking purpose in the project impact area. The inflatable flexible membrane dams were developed in the early 1950s. Inflatable dams can be filled with water, air or both.

The present trend suggests an increased use of air-filled membranes because they can be deflated or inflated more rapidly, and they are little affected by freezing conditions. For in case of flood, the rubber weir may be deflated within hours to allow the strong current to pass through the channel while a concrete weir will be washed away. There are thousands inflatable rubber dams around the world. This idea is in trend in developed nations, like the US, Canada, Italy and Spain, and developing states like China, India and Bangladesh. China boasts over 2,000 rubber dams, while Bangladesh has already built several dozens of them so far. It is hoped that through such initiatives, irrigation in Pakistan will be improved.

Engr Mansoor Ahmed

Faisalabad