Nuclear density equipment for tank repairs

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has decided to use nuclear density equipment for speedy evaluation of compaction of earthen bunds in 4,831 of the 13,699 public works department (PWD) tanks as part of a Rs 860-crore project.S S Rajagopal, engineer-in-chief of water resources department told Express that the equipment purchased some time ago under the Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water Resources Management (IAMWARM) project has been serviced and tested for safety following intervention of PWD minister K V Ramalingam. Training has been imparted to PWD engineers in Tindivanam on use of the equipment.The nuclear density equipment gives moisture content and the density of compaction of soil within 30 seconds resulting in speedy execution and testing of the compaction of soil, which otherwise had to be taken to the laboratory and tested to arrive at the compaction level. “This equipment will help towards quality assurance in works being executed by this Department,” Rajagopal said.He said the IAMWARM project has been taken up for better service delivery in the fields of agriculture and allied activities with World Bank aid of Rs 2,547 crore, benefiting 6.17 lakh hectares of irrigated land.Of the total outlay of Rs 2,547 crore, Rs 1,743 crore has been allotted to Water Resources Department for standardisation of tank bunds, repair of weirs, sluices and check-dams. Lining of the channels has also improved conveyance efficiency, thereby saving lot of water and increasing ayacut extent, he added. The major work involved is bund standardisation for about Rs 860 crore, which is nearly one-third of the project cost.