PALAKKAD: Initially it comprised sand bags and later cement was used. Now, though, the check dam in Mannannoor near Ottappalam in the Bharathapuzha is made of steel sheet piles. R Jayapalan, Chief Executive of Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC), which built the check dam in Mannannoor says, “ This was the third one in South India. There was one in Andhra Pradesh and another one in Tamil Nadu.
A smaller one at Vengara in Malappuram district which is 80m long is nearing completion Initially, several people were skeptical of the idea(using steel sheet piles) but now it is gaining acceptance.”
He adds that the water is now spread across 5.5 km in Mannannoor and the check dam is filled to the brim. The water table has increased in the nearby wells in the villages. “Originally, a concrete check dam with an outlay of `17 crore had been proposed. But now a check dam has been built using steel sheet piles for `5.6 crore, which is just a third of the project’s outlay.
Moreover, check dams can be built only when the water-level recedes during the summer. This check am was completed within six months,” says the KIIDC CEO.
According to Jayapalan, the design was by IDRB (Irrigation Design Research Board) and it had been sent to IIT, Chennai for final clearance.
Harif, the contractor of the check dam says,“ The steel sheet pile checkdam in Mannannoor connects Vazhalipadam in Thrissur panchayat to Mannannoor in Vaniamkulam panchayat. It is 245 m long and four metres wide.
A total of 330 tonne of steel sheets was brought in from Arcelor Mittal steel plant in Hong Kong. It is economical and long lasting.