Automated drip irrigation system introduced for watering greenery along the Outer Ring Road has reportedly brought down expenditure and improved efficiency. The drip system was inaugurated by Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao on Friday.
Savings are experienced mainly on two fronts — water and maintenance, while the automation has reduced manual intervention and thus, improved functioning, according to a statement from HMDA on Friday.
Drip irrigation was installed along 62 blocks of greenery on the 158-km length of ORR. Works were given in five packages, with a project cost of ₹47 crore, which includes maintenance for seven years. A total 63,13,503 plants are to be watered through the system.
For effective watering, a total 94 borewells and 92 sumps have been used. Water is pumped and discharged through a network of pipes, and plants are watered at their roots by drips attached on the pipes. Drip lines, three each, on the left side, central median and right side of the ORR, covering hedge, shrub and avenue plantations including near interchanges. The total length of drip lines approximates to 1,500 km. Also, sprinkler system is provided at Nanakramguda central median and other pockets.
After installation of the drip system, average annual expenditure, including maintenance, has come down from ₹20 crore to ₹14 crore, clocking 30% reduction, the statement said.
Besides, water consumption has dropped from 107.6 million litres to 89.3 million litres per month, resulting in saving of 18.3 million litres of water. This is equivalent to 731 tankers per month or 24 tankers per day, which were being plied earlier.
Besides the reduced water consumption, drip installation has also saved fuel required for a total 4,304 tankers per month earlier.
The supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system is used to monitor the drip system from a remote location. The daily watering is programmed in the scheduled hours, so that irrigation is done automatically and controlled from a single location.
Besides, the automated system detects any failure or leakage in the system, thus saving a lot of time and money, ensuring quick response to the issues, proactive maintenance and detailed reporting, the statement said.
Mr.Rama Rao conducted a meeting after the launch of the drip irrigation system, where he reviewed various developmental works including monsoon action plan, flood prevention measures, and progress of the STP works by the HMWS&SB.
