Desilting of Dam by Siphonic Action and Induction of VORTEX

Abstract

Due to tremendous increase in population, water requirement for agricultural as well as domestic, industrial use is on a rise. Pakistan is already deficit of water, because as a result of Indus Basin Water Treaty (1960) we had to leave 16 MAF of our share from three Eastern Rivers i.e. (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas) and had to depend only on three Western Rivers i.e. (Jehlum, Chenab and Sindh). To meet the ever increasing demand of water we had to construct number of dams and other hydraulic infrastructure which was an expensive solution. Since these rivers carry a lot of silt load so capacity of reservoirs constructed on them is on decrease rapidly for example Mangla has already lost 20 % of its storage capacity and if it is silted up in same manner, by 2086 its capacity will be left 30 %, and Tarbela has already lost 30 % of its storage capacity, by 2056 it will be left with 20 % storage capacity. This is the critical time for some serious step to be taken. Desilting of dams was an option but conventional methods being too costly (approx double the cost of original project) or impracticable