Know Your Project Series-2

In the second session of the “Know Your Project” Series, a Talk was arranged on Saturday, 28^th August 2010 in the Materials Department. This week’s speaker was Mr. Ashish Jaitly, Manager-Civil, Power Channel. To share the knowledge gained from the Talk, a summary of the key points has been made so that those who could not participate may benefit from reading it. The summary is reproduced below:

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The Power Channel performs the simple function of guiding the flow of water from the dam to the turbines. But one should not be deceived by its simplicity. Water, if not monitored with care, can become a threat rather than a resource. The long distance of the Channel, the winding path it takes and the varying topography and soil conditions call for a cautious approach in designing each part of the Channel.

The Channel extends to well over 3 Km, has four road bridges, three pedestrian bridges and three large cross drain water ways (nalas). The Channel is conceptually divided into two sections based on the land conditions – the walled section and the lining section. All through the Channel, the design and construction provides for a system of protecting the water from seeping out into the soil and also prevent outside water and drain water from seeping in. The piping work that is laid all along the Channel is designed to draw outside water into it while filtering out sand and other solid matter. The drain pipes have multiple cross connections to ensure unclogged and collective flow of outside water which are guided into nalas to be routed through to the river. The nalas are huge and stretch over long distances. The 125 sq mtr combined cross -section of the nalas will give an indication of the volume of drain water that needs to be handled! Just for a mental comparison, the average cross section of the Channel is about 430 sq mtr. The humble nalas thus carry over 25% of the load that the majestic Channel does!

One part of the Channel is formed by raising tall concrete walls between which the water is guided forward. Another part, which is at a level lower than the ground, is a channel excavated in a trough shaped section with an impermeable lining all through its length to prevent water from seeping out or seeping in. The joints along the length are sealed to prevent leakage.

Over 2 lakh cu. mtr of concrete is planned to be used in the Channel.

The Channel is expected to carry water flow to a 10 mtr level most of the year round the clock and will run approximately four hours a day during a short off season quarter in winter. The flow of water at about 4.5 m/s and over 600 cumec almost matches the average flow of the river on its own. The Channel is designed to operate without further need to renovate for close to fifty years!

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In his vote of thanks, Mr. Sanjay Srivastava, Dy. Manager-Materials appreciated Mr. Jaitly’s presentation skills, especially the fact that he could present the project in such a simplified way to a non-technical audience. He also complimented the audience for their eagerness to learn and remarked that the keenness of the learner is essential to the success of a teacher.

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Mr. Ashish Jaitly is a popular figure at Srinagar. A Civil Engineer, he brings to us over 15 years of experience in Construction and Highways. He has the being a significant contributor to the prestigious Golden Quadrilateral and the East West Corridor – two of India’s star projects. In two and half years at GVK, he has risen to the level of Manager. Though selected in NDA& TGC through SSB, denied permission by loving parents, he had to march into civilian life! A keen sportsman, he has been in the National Team (SGFI) for Kendriya Vidhaylaya in three sports - Cricket, Volleyball and Basket Ball! His wife is a dynamic homemaker and they have two cute children- 5 yrs and 8 yrs old.

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