The Public Works Department plans to install an automatic reservoir monitoring and control system, an advanced computerised control and flood monitoring mechanism, at Mukkombu barrage near here.
It is part of the ₹387.60 crore on going project to construct a barrage across the Kollidam river to replace the existing one, a portion of which collapsed in August 2018 due to heavy flood. On behalf of the PWD, Larsen and Toubro, is executing the project.
The new barrage will probably be the first to get such an automatic reservoir monitoring system in this region. Apart from continuously monitoring the reservoir water level, the system would envisage increase or decrease in level by taking into consideration the geographical contours of the area and other factors.
A sensor will measure the rise or fall in water level. The software allows the exact monitoring and the adjustment of water outflow to maintain the required level. There will be a mechanism to get the visual display of various aspects of water level, gate positions and others.
Informed sources told The Hindu that the system would also measure the rate of inflow water to the barrage. Based on the requirement, the water level of the barrage could be maintained by setting optimum level by opening and closing the gates automatically. All preliminary measurements and data for installing the system have been collected. A team of electrical and electronic engineers would be involved in designing the system.
A senior PWD official said that the new barrage would have 55 hydraulic shutters. While the southern arm would have 45 shutters, there would be 10 shutters in the northern arm. The average weight of each shutter would be 10 kg. However, each of them was being customised as per the requirement. An onsite fabrication unit had been set up at the barrage construction site so as to modify or adjust the shutters as per the site requirement.