E-Paper
No takers in Maharashtra for dam reinforcement technology by Pune-based firm
While states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have used the ‘poly ironite ceramic cementitious (PICC) coating technology for the reinforcement of dams, specifically to prevent breaching, it has been bypassed by Maharashtra
A technology developed by a Pune firm for the reinforcement of dams that has been endorsed by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) and utilised by seven states, besides Konkan Railway and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), has been bypassed by the Maharashtra irrigation department.
While states like Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have used the ‘poly ironite ceramic cementitious (PICC) coating technology for the reinforcement of dams, specifically to prevent breaching, it has been bypassed by Maharashtra.
“Maharashtra has the highest number of dams but very poor maintenance. Big dams are being targetted but small dams are not being touched. Dams in Maharashtra need to be rehabilitated on priority,” said Anil Kelkar, chairman and managing director of Dimple Chemicals & Services Pvt Ltd.
A specialist in surface chemistry, Kelkar has Indian and European patents to his credit for inhibiting corrosion on metal surfaces. He has also worked on technical projects with IIT, Mumbai, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune and organisations in US and Germany.
In 2015, he was in the news when his anti-corrosion technology was used to reinforce and restore the centuries old Al-Hutaib mosque of Dawoodi Bohras in Central Yemen. In 2017, the PCC technology was used to reinforce the Krishna Sagar Dam in Karnataka.
The technology has also been used by the Konkan Railways for repairs and reinforcement of 1800 sleepers and by the Jawharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) Container Terminal Berth for overlaying on the concrete berth.
In December 2013, the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) at Khadakwasla submitted a report stating that the PICC mortar (Nicomix 100) was “well-suited for repairs, strengthening and rehabilitation of hydraulic structures.”
It noted that the compressive strength, tensile strength and high resistance to abrasion indicated that the PICC mortar was “suitable for repairing damages in hydraulic structures like those in spillway surface, chute blocks and baffle blocks.”