 |
RE-ASSESSING
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BUCKET PUMP - A SIMPLE WATER By Dr. Costantino Faillace |
|
RE-ASSESSING
THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BUCKET PUMP - A SIMPLE WATER By Dr. Costantino Faillace |
| Installation of Bucket Pumps in Abandoned
GSDA Low-Yielding Boreholes In the 1996 and 1997 drilling program, 40-50% of the boreholes declared dry by the driller resulted, at a subsequent inspection, to have a low yield and were equipped with bucket pumps. The reason for this has already been explained earlier. During the drilling program of 1996 and 1997 seven abandoned GSDA boreholes were cleaned and yield tested; the results were very surprising! All seven boreholes had water (five had been filled by sand and stones and were drilled again, two were still cap locked; their water levels were only 4 meters deep). The yield test showed that two boreholes had a very low yield and were not equipped, three were equipped (Mhede - Sakar Pada - Vasai taluka, Digashi-Madoshi and Mohile-Bombe Pada both in Bhiwandi taluka). Mohili Bombe Pada 2, in spite of yielding sufficient water, it was not equipped as it is located at about 50 meters from the equipped well. Also in Dalonde Adivasi Pada (Bhiwandi taluka), an abandoned borehole yielding sufficient water (300 liters/hour) was not equipped by bucket pump because the newly drilled borehole for this large village resulted to yield more than 3000 liters of water per hour. The most surprising results, however, were met in the town of Mandva (Wada Taluka) while re-drilling a borehole, abandoned since eleven years. At a depth of 40 ft water started to flow copiously from the hole and in a short time all the surrounding area was flooded; The flow test indicated a yield of 12500 liters of water per hour! This abandoned well. due to technical reasons, has been rehabilitated and recommended for the water supply of Mandva (900 people) and for filling water tanks to supply villages suffering from water scarcity. Based on these experiences, it is expected that a large number of boreholes declared as low-yielding, and therefore abandoned, could supply water useful to small hamlets (padas, vastis), if equipped by bucket pumps. Usually, in addition to the normal drilling activities included in the yearly program, some abandoned boreholes will be selected for cleaning and yield testing; those with sufficient yield will be equipped by bucket pumps with people’s participation. |