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TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED AND IMPROVED BY PCRWR |
Water Management
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Tile Drainage |
The drainage technology is developed under varied soil and water conditions. The farmers in province of Sindh have used this technology for reclamation of waterlogged and saline soils. It is more suitable in areas where groundwater is saline and watertable is shallow. Its main advantage is that the system is laid underground. Injection well is the most recent intervention for the disposal of drainage effluent.
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Installation of tile drainage |
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Land Reclamation
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Various techniques have been developed for the reclamation of saline soils through following:
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Continuous leaching;
- Inorganic substances like gypsum;
- Organic substances like press mud and rice husk;
- Cultural and physical practices;
- Biological means i.e. jantar, kallar grass and barseem;and
- Saline drainage effluent by mixing and cycling.
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Drainage and reclamation Project
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Skimming Well
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Improvement in the design and operation of skimming well technology has been introduced. The farmers have greatly benefited from this technology for irrigation and drainage of their lands. The cost is much less than the scavenger well. It costs about rupees hundred thousand.
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Double bore skimming well |
Zero Tillage
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Zero tillage is the direct placement of seed in the undisturbed soil through the mulch layer with the help of a seed drill. Several kinds of seed drills have been developed for the purpose. Weed control is necessary for zero-tillage. The cultural practices, green manuring, mulching and crop rotation keep the weeds minimum. Direct seeding increases the fertility, organic matter, infiltration and moisture retention.Zero
tillage saves time, labour, cost of cultivation besides conserving the soil. It eliminates the destruction of soil structure and allows build up of soil microbial activities and less soil compaction. The elimination of mixing weed seeds with soil.
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Wheat Cultivation on Zero Tillage Technology |
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Establishment of Irrigation Scheduling/ Lysimetric Studies
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The irrigation water scheduling of the crops is based on the research conducted
in lysimeters and under field conditions. The scheduling are as under:
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Wheat
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Soaking dose = 75 mm (3 inches), then 4 subsequent irrigations each 75 mm depth after 3,6,11 and 15 weeks after sowing (Total = 375 mm = 15 inches).
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Cotton
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Soaking dose = 100 mm (4 inches), then 6 subsequent irrigations each 75 mm depth after 4,7,10,13,15 and 18 weeks after sowing (Total = 550 mm = 22 inches).
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Sugarcane |
Soaking dose = 100 mm (4 inches), then 20 subsequent irrigations each 100 mm depth after 1,2,5,11, 19, 23, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34,35,36,38,39,41,43,46,49 and 51 weeks after sowing (Total = 2100 mm = 84 inches).
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lysimeter Station
Sugarcane crop grown on lysimeter station
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Buried Pipe Water Carrier
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A water conservation technology has been introduced through buried pipe water carrier at the farm. About 26% and 12% saving in irrigation water is achieved in this technique as compared to earthen and brick lined watercourses respectively. Besides, other benefits such as 30% land saving control on over topping, less delivery time and less maintenance cost are achieved.
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Rainwater harvesting and Desertification Control |
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Rainwater Harvesting and Storage |
The optimum size and design of rainwater harvesting /storage reservoir has been established by conducting many years research in the Cholistan Desert. The reservoir/pond has the storage capacity of 15000 cubic meters having catchment of 20 to 30 hectares with minimum and optimum runoff of of 20 and 60 mm respectively. The main channel and steps in the reservoir are constructed with concrete material. The seepage losses are minimized by keeping the bed of the reservoir on the impervious clay layer and by spreading polyethylene sheets on the bed and covering with 15 cm thick compacted layer of dense clay. The evaporation losses from the reservoir surface are reduced by decreasing surface area and increasing depth.
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A specially designed rainwater harvesting pond
constructed in the desert for provision of water |
Desertification Control
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Sand Dune Fixation and Stabilization |
More than 300 acres of barren mobile dune land in Cholistan Desert has been stablised by micro barrier fences using dry plant material, windbreaks and vegetative cover.
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Use of Saline and Conjunctive Use of Saline and Rainwater for Vegetation
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The cultivation of grasses i.e. Lasairus sindicus, Panicum maximum and antidotale, Cenchrus cilarius and fodder crops i.e. barley, wild millet, mustard etc. having carrying capacity of 10 to 20 times more than the natural rangeland and trees like Ziziphus, Acacia, Ampliceps etc. have been established with the use of saline ground water and conjunctive use of saline and rain water. More over introduction of salt resistant varieties i.e. Atriplex Spp. showed that carrying capacity of ranges in deserts can be increased by introducing such plant species.
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Water Quality Testing and Treatment Technologies
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1. Arsenic Removal Water Treatment Unit
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Arsenic Removal water treatment unit Front View of Low Cost Chlorinators developed & Installed by PCRWR Field Testing kit for Arsenic To safeguard the public health specifically in arsenic affected areas, PCRWR has developed water treatment unit for the removal of arsenic, turbidity and bacteriological pollutants for the provision of safe drinking water at the community level. Capacity of this unit is 250 gallons per/8 hours and treatment cost is Rs. 0.03/liter (0.11/gallon). These units have been installed in about 150 Primary Girls School in the arsenic affected areas including Sindh and Punjab Provinces.
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2. Low Cost Automatic Chlorinators |
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The PCRWR has successfully developed low cost chlorinators for water supply systems. Per unit cost is Rs. 55000 for a community of 75000-100, 000 persons. No need for complicated and expensive pumps, mixing tanks, control devices, electrical wiring or piping. This Chlorinator is a simple, compact and lightweight as it is easily installed by one person. Chlorine dosage is adjustable as per demand of water to be treated.
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3. Low Cost Field Testing Kit for Arsenic
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A low cost kit for arsenic determination has successfully been developed to provide a convenient way to non-scientists to check arsenic contamination in their drinking water using simple test. Low cost arsenic field-testing kit is a great break through with a minimum detection limit of 1 ppb. These kits are being provided to several organizations for field testing trials.
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4. Low Cost Field Testing Kits for Basic Water Quality Parameters |
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In developing countries, most of the people from rural and urban communities are unaware of quality of drinking water. This is partially due to inadequate as well as lack of water testing facilities in most of areas. Therefore, it was highly needed to develop water-testing kit with great emphasis on its accuracy, simplicity and cost. Development and evaluation of this kit for eleven basic water quality parameters (microbiology, pH, TDS, EC, hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate, carbonate and chlorine) has been completed and now these kits being promoted in the country. |
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Reverse Osmosis
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Reverse osmosis is a separation process by means of pressure exerted through semi permeable membrane. The required pressure is achieved by means of pump to increase the energy level of the more concentrated solution. As a result water flows from higher energy (more concentration solution) to lower energy (diluted solution) through the membranes by separating 95% salts and organics. It is designed to produce purified water.
PCRWR has developed a prototype low cost reverse osmosis unit having a capacity of 300 litre/ hour to purify the saline water of 5000 TDS at the cost of approximately Rs.1,30,000. This technology will be applied for the provision of safe drinking water to the inhabitants of Cholistan. Where water is scarce commodity.
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Soil Moisture Instruments
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Soil Moisture Instruments
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it is used to monitor soil moisture tension in the root zone in wet range. It predict when and how much to irrigate. Its working range is 0-80 cb. Four types of tensiometers viz; Mercury, Gauge, Three Colour and Three Light System are being prepared.
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Gypsum Block |
it is used for monitoring soil moisture tension in dry range. Each unit needs to be calibrated either in pressure membrane apparatus or by some other method. A read-out meter (resistivity meter) is needed to take reading of a gypsum block. Its working range is 1-15 bar.
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Soil Water Extractor
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The soil water extractor has been designed to collect insitu soil water sample directly from the root zone without taking soil sample.
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Water Level Indicator
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It has been designed to monitor groundwater level as and when needed. The instrument has the facility for selecting audio or video out-put signal according to convenience of the user.
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Salinity Sensor
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This is used for insitu monitoring soil salinity. Before installation each unit is calibrated. A conductivity or resistivity meter is needed to read a salinity sensor.
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Bubbler
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This is useful for directly irrigating root zone of a fruit tree. In this way the wastage due to conveyance, seepage or evaporation is minimized.
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Water Sampler
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This has been specially designed to collect samples from rivers, ponds, industrial wastes etc. These samplers are used in environmental research.
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