Wednesday 9 December 2015

Introduction to Water Resource Engineering

1 Introduction

1. What are the objectives of water resource development? (May 2006 5m)

- Mention the objectives of water resource development.

Ans. The development of water resource involves the concept of planning, designing, construction and operation of facilities to control and utilize water effectively and efficiently. The following are the objectives of water resource development;

· To have agricultural production.

· To generate required power.

· To control and reduce the damage caused by flood.

· To recharge ground water.

· To protect the economic development.

· To utilize for the purpose of navigation by transportation of goods and passenger.

· To have recreational use of water.

· To reduce pollution.

· To achieve proper drainage.

· To achieve sediment control.

· To accelerate the public works.

· To facilitate aquatic life.

· To have a control of precipitation within meteorological limits.

· To have watershed management- conservation and improvement of soil, etc.

2. Define irrigation. Briefly explain the necessity of irrigation. (May 2006 5m)

- What is irrigation? What are its necessities?

Ans. Irrigation may be defined as the process of supplying water to the land by artificial means for the purpose of cultivation. The water supplied to the land naturally by rain is usually not sufficient for the proper growth of the crop, therefore, the objective of irrigation is to supplement the natural supply of water to land to obtain the optimum yield from the crop grown on the land. Generally, the following factors lead to the necessity of irrigation.

· Low rainfall or non-uniform rainfall.

· Additional requirement of water to the commercial crops.

· To have a controlled and planned water supply.

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of irrigation? (May 2005 5m, Dec 2005 5m, May 2006 5m, May 2009 8m, Nov 2011 5m)

- List the advantages and disadvantages of irrigation.

- What are the benefits of irrigation? (May 2008)

Ans. Advantages-The following are the advantages of irrigation;

· Protection from famine.

· Improvement in yield and value of crop.

· Generation of hydroelectric power.

· Inland irrigation.

· The irrigation canals can be used for domestic and industrial water supply.

· Improvement in transportation due to road facility on canal banks.

· Increase in ground water storage.

· Improves canal plantation.

· Increase in food production.

· Fish industry can be developed along the banks of reservoir.

· Increases the economy of the country.

· Overall development of the country.

Disadvantages-The following are the disadvantages of irrigation;

· Irrigation results in colder and damper climate, causing outbreak of diseases like malaria.

· Water logging is a major concern due to over irrigation, resulting in reduced crop yields.

· Cost of irrigation is some times more than the revenue generated.

· Presence of canals affect the drainage conditions of the area.

· The irrigation water gets mixed with nitrates in the soil and seeps into the ground water to some extent, and pollute the ground water.

· Deep canals may prove dangerous for people who do not know swimming.

· Irrigation projects requires huge capitals, and also skilled labors are required for the construction.

4. What is a multipurpose project? Name the major multipurpose irrigation project in India. (Nov 2010 5m)

Ans. The projects which are planned and constructed to perform various purposes together are called as multipurpose projects. The reservoir not only serves one but various purposes such as protection of downstream areas from floods and serves as water supply unit for irrigation and industrial purposes. Some of the important multipurpose projects in India are as follows;

· Bhakra Nangal Project – Himachal Pradesh

· Tihari water Project – Uttarakhand

· Nagarjuna Sagar Project – Andra Pradesh

· Sardar Sarovar Project – Gujrat

· Krishna Raja Sagar- Mysore

· Tungabhadra Prpject – Hospet

· Mahi Project

· Gandak Project

· Kosi Project

5. Name the major water resources (or rivers) in India.

Ans. The major water resource in India are as listed below;

· Narmada

· Tapathi

· Mahanadi

· Godavari

· Krishna

· Cauvery

· Pennar

· Ganges and its tributaries

· Indus and its tributaries.

· River Brahmaputra.

6. Name the major water resource projects in Karnataka.

Ans. The major water resource projects in Karnataka are as follows;

· Tungabhadrs project – Hospet

· Upper Krishna project – Alamatti

· Krishna Raja Sagar project – Mysore

· Harangi project – Kodagu

· Navilterth project – Savadatti

· Linganamakki project – Jog

· Vani Vilasa Sagar – Hiriyur

· Basava sagar project - Narayanpura

· Nugu reservoir – H.D Kote, Mysore, etc.

7. Name the major water resource projects in the world.

Ans. Following are the main water resource projects in the world;

· Syncrude tailings project – Canada

· Tihari water project – Uttarakhand, India

· Bhakra Nangal Project – Himachal Pradesh

· Chapeton project – Argentina

· Pati project - Argentina

· Fort peak project – Montana

· Cipasang project –Indonesia

· Three gorges project – China, etc.

8. Write a note on world water resource.

Ans. Water is the most important natural resource and is vital for all living beings on the earth. Oceans cover about 71% of the total land surface and has 97% of water. 2% of water is present in frozen form as ice caps. Deep underground resource cover about 0.31%. Thus 99.31% of water is of no use to man. The remaining 0.69% of water represents the fresh water resource. Among fresh water, rivers and lakes holds 3% and the atmosphere holds 3%. Remaining percentage is distributed in other fresh water resources.

9. Write a short note on India’s water resource.

Ans. The main source of water for India is rainfall over the most of the parts and snowfall in the north region. The rainfall varies from place to place every year. The average annual rainfall is about 119.4 cm. The total annual water resources are approximately equal to 4000km³. The total annual surface water flow is 1800km³, from which 150km³ is stored in various reservoirs, tanks etc. 1650km³ water is retained on soil and it goes to the atmosphere as evaporation and transpiration.

Reference:

· Irrigation and Hydraulics Structures, by S.K. Garg. Khanna Publisher, New Delhi, India.

· Irrigation and Water Power Engineering, by B.C. Punmia, Pande, B.B. Lal. Lakshmi Publications, New Delhi, India.

Models by Arhaan S Ali & Ayaan

Models by Arhaan S Ali & Ayaan of New Generation School, Bangalore, India.

Model of Bangalore Railway Station - by Arhaan S Ali

Bangalore has made rapid development and it is one of the ten most modern cities of the country. It is because of the means of transportation such as, railway networks, acting as life line for the people.

Plate 1. Side view of the model

Plate 2. Front view of the model

Plate 3. Top view of the model

Features of the railways-

Railways are the cheapest means of communication.
Railway stations consists of ticket counter, goods room, announcement rooms, canteens and also have the facility of waiting rooms
Railway tracks are joined by 'Fish plates'
Railway track gauges used in India are known as 'Broad Gauge'
The stone formation under the railway tracks are called as 'Ballast'

-Arhaan S Ali is 5 years old smart kiddo from New Generation School, Bangalore. He made this model to present at annual exhibition at his school in Dec 2015. He is one of the bright students of the class and enjoys participating in co-curricular activities.

- Ayaan is 6 years old, he also studies at New Generation School, Bangalore. He can speak 5 Indian languages at such a tender age, he is equally talented in sports, arts and academics as well. He made the clay model of Octopus for the annual exhibition at his school.

Clay Model of Smiling Octopus - by Ayaan

Plate 1.

Plate 2.

Plate 3.

Octopus has two eyes and four pairs of arms.
An octopus has its mouth at the center point of the arms.
An octopus has no internal or external skeleton, allowing it to squeeze through tight places.
Octopuses are among the most intelligent and behaviorally diverse of all invertebrates.

Sunday 29 November 2015

Urban & Rural Planning by Aashna, 6th Std, New Generation School

Urban & Rural plans

The term “Planning” may be defined as a continuous process which involves decisions and choices, about ways of using available resources, with the aim of achieving particular goals in the future.

Rural Planning

Fig. Typical Rural area with basic amenities.

· The size of the rural area is very small, hardly a few square kilometers (Sq.km)

· The density of the population is very low like 50 to 100 persons/hectare.

· Farming is the main occupation of rural dwellers.

· There is more personal contact in rural areas and good neighborhood spirit.

· Small scale and cottage industries are more.

Urban Planning

Fig. Typical Urban area with modern amenities.

· Urban area consists of Municipal and administrative building, corporation boards, banks, courts and police stations.

· In urban areas, 75% of the inhabitants work in non-agricultural activities, usually in Corporates, studios, films, etc.

· The density of population is high, 400 persons/square kilometers.

· In urban area, recreation centres such as parks, clubs and pools are available.

· Urban planning includes water supply system, waste water management system, electricity supply, etc.

Plates of hand-made models differentiating Urban and Rural Planning

Reference: "Project on Urban & Rural planning" by Aashna, 6th std, New Generation School, Bangalore.

Saturday 28 November 2015

Building Bye-laws & Set-backs

1 Building bye-laws

1. What are the objects of building bye-laws in town planning?

Ans. The building bye-laws and regulations should be enforced by proper authority to achieve the following objectives:

· To allow disciplined growth of buildings and towns.

· To prevent haphazard development.

· To protect safety of public against fire, noise, health hazards and structural failure.

· To provide proper utilization of space.

· To provide maximum efficiency in planning

· To give guidelines to the architect or engineers in effective planning.

· To provide health, safety and comfort to the people.

· To benefit from maximum utilization of light, air, ventilation for the occupant of the building.

· To prevent unauthorized construction and land use.

· To prevent encroachment on public and private land, etc.

2. Explain the importance of ‘Building bye-laws’.

Ans. The building bye-laws and regulations governs the following building aspects;

· Building frontage line.

· Built-up area of the building.

· Height of building.

· Open space to be left in the sides and back, etc.

· Provision of size, height, and ventilation of rooms and apartments.

· Provision of water supply and disposal of wastewater and other sanitary provisions.

· General requirements of building, regarding materials and workmanship.

· Safety measures for workers and public during construction.

3. Enumerate the principles of building bye-laws.

Ans. The broad principles to be observed while framing the building bye-laws for any locality may be as follows:

· Classifying the buildings with unit as a family and mentioning the requirements accordingly.

· Classifying the rooms according to use mentioning minimum standards of each room with respect to size, height, floor area, ventilation and light.

· Controlling the height of compound wall.

· Controlling the location of compound gates.

· Controlling the height of structures.

· Implementing maximum limit of height in certain zones.

· Controlling the area of projections in the marginal spaces.

· Insisting suitable F.S.I (Floor space index)

· Insisting upon suitable arrangements with respect to drainage and water supply.

· Making compulsory appointment of licensed architect and engineers for works.

· Mentioning the set-backs and marginal spaces.

· Mentioning the minimum size of the plots, their dimensions and frontages.

· Mentioning the structural design, fire safety, and other requirements in the construction of a building.

4. Define set-back. Mention its advantages.

Ans. A set-back may be defined as the frontage margin or the open space in front of the abutting street or road. Set-back distances are necessary for widening, traffic/vehicle sighting, parking space, free air circulation for building. Following are the advantages of set-backs;

· If necessary, part of set-backs may be given for the purpose of road widening.

· If the set-back is uniform, the buildings are constructed in one line parallel to the axis of the road.

· The set-backs at street corners improve visibility.

· The set-backs impart safety to the traffic.

· The set-backs results into better conditions of air, light and ventilation of the buildings.

· The space of set-backs can be conveniently used as parking place.

· The space of set-backs can be used for developing gardens also.

· They reduce the danger of fire by increasing the distance between the buildings.

5. Write a short note on Floor space index (FSI).

Ans. Floor space index is defined as ratio of total built up area on the floor to the plot area. Hence it is only a dimensionless number. F.S.I is also known as Floor Area ratio (F.A.R). F.S.I is a very important component of building bye-laws for controlling density of population in the jurisdiction of village/city/town. Less F.S.I indirectly means less number of residential units. This implies less congestion, hence more convenience and safety of people. The value of F.S.I or F.A.R is determined by local authority and it may be different areas and different buildings of the town.

F.S.I = Total built up area/Plot area.

Table: F.S.I for typical town.

Sl. No.	Use	Area	F.S.I	Remarks
1	Residential	Scheme area	1	Max. allowed on G.F 0.40
2	Residential	City area	4	Facing street of more than 12m width
3	Residential	City area	3	Facing street of more than 12m width
4	Industrial	Scheme area	1.50	Max. allowed on G.F 0.50
5	Commercial	Scheme area	1.33	Max. allowed on G.F 0.40

6. State the building bye-laws for design of residential area.

Ans. The following are the most important building bye-laws;

A. Minimum sizes of plots: Plot is a continuous portion of land marked by definite boundary including the land within the enclosure of the building, such as yard, court, open spaces, and garden attached. The permissible sizes of plots for the family unit is as under:

Sl. No.	Type	Dimensions (Meters)	Area (Sq.m)
1	Low Income Group (LIG)	9 x 15 12 x 15	135 180
2	Middle Income Group (MIG)	12 x 18 14 x 21 15 x 24	216 294 360
3	High Income Group (HIG)	18 x 27 27 x 36	486 972

B. Marginal spaces or set-backs:

I. Front and rear margin or set-backs:

Depth of site (Meters)	Min. front (Meters)	Min. rear (Meters)
Up to 15	1.5	1.5
15-18	1.5	1.8
18-21	3.0	1.8
21-24	4.0	2.0
24-27	4.5	2.5
27-30	4.5	3.0
30-36	6.0	4.0
Above 36	9.0	4.5

II. Side margins or set-backs:

Width of site (Meters)	Min. left side (Meters)	Min. right side (Meters)
Up to 9	1.0	1.0
9-12	1.25	1.75
12-15	1.25	3.0
15-21	1.75	3.5
21-27	3.0	4.0
27-30	3.0	4.5
Above 30	4.5	6.0

C. Minimum floor area for room: The minimum floor area for living room, bedroom, dining room, etc. should be 9m²; kitchen, store room should be 5.4m².

D. Proportion of built-up area to Plot area: The ratio of total built-up area to the plot area of the building is called Floor space index. It is fixed by the local authority and is different for different areas and different buildings in the city.

E. Height of plinth: The plinth height should be at least 45cm above the road level or plot level whichever is higher.

F. Height of floors: The clear height of living room to be not less than 3m, for bath room, W.C, etc. to be not less than 2.5m, for passage to be less than 2m.

G. Proportion of window area to Floor area: The window are should not be less than one-seventh of the floor area of the room to secure good amount of light and ventilation.

H. Projections in Margins: The projections of the following elements in margins shall be as follows:

· Sun-shade or Canopy of 3m wide and 2.5m above the ground level.

· Gallery to be not more than 1.2m wide at floor level.

I. Cellar: The minimum height shall be 2.4m, ventilation to be one-tenth of floor area.

J. Stair: The minimum width of stair either provided inside or attached to the outside of the building and open sky shall not be less than 90cm, with inclination to horizontal or pitch within 30˚ to 45˚

K. Compound wall and gate: The height of the compound wall shall not be less than 1.5m on road side and 1.8m on other sides. The gate shall be of 1.2m height and open from inwards.

L. Materials and workmanship: All the materials shall conform as per the specifications and good workmanship.