BERKY Poseidon desludging boat protects against the risk of flooding
The Ambilobe region in Madagascar is shaped by cocoa and sugar cane plantations. The most important economic factor here is the income from agriculture. However, as common in tropical regions, this region also struggles with the issue of water. Either there is too little water and the harvest dries out, or there is too much water during the annual rainy season which also threatens the harvest by flooding the fields.
To reduce these problems, canals were built to distribute the water and thus ensure irrigation in the dry season and drainage in the rainy season. Over the years, these canals become silted up and thus the effectiveness of the infrastructure is reduced.
The Challenge
Sediment depositions: A risk for Ambilobe irrigation systems
Erosion and heavy rainfall cause a lot of sand and sediment to enter the canals and rivers. This affects the capacity of the canals and causes water shortages in the dry season. Sediment also settles in the canal and river course, which can affect the shape of the water. This interferes with the local infrastructure, i.e. this can damage embankments and dykes, which are vital infrastructures to protect the local population during the rainy season.
In Ambilobe, one section of the river has proven to be particularly susceptible to sand depositions. A natural sand trap was built here to remove the sand before it reaches other parts of the river and its tributaries downstream. For this, the province needed a machine that could remove the sand. The machine needed to be powerful, but also flexible and easy to transport so that it could be used in different channels as required.
Approach and Solution
FLEXIBLE AND POWERFUL HELP: THE USE OF THE BERKY POSEIDON desludging boat
They opted for a BERKY Poseidon 770 desludging boat. This multi-purpose desludging boat is a compact machine with plenty of power.
The machine is equipped with a wear-resistant pump that allows it to pump up to 770 cubic meters of water per hour. With the help of the excavator arm, the machine can use a wide range of work equipment. This allows the machine to carry out not only the usual suction dredging work, but also digging with a shovel, removing plants with a clearing rake or even supporting construction sites along watercourses.
The four stabilizers give the machine a stable hold in any work situation. Worries about unexpected movements of the machine or slipping due to weight shifting are a worry of the past. The sludge mixture, which is conveyed from the bottom of the water by the machine, reaches the bank through a pipe. This is achieved without any significant loss of power over distances of up to one kilometer. The material is then pumped into a lagoon, where the sediment settles and the purified water flows back into the watercourse. The residual moisture is then removed from the material by the sun.
results
IMPROVED SAFETY AND AGRICULTURE THROUGH THE USE OF THE Desludging Boat
Both the sand trap and the existing canal infrastructure can now be maintained sustainably with the BERKY Poseidon 770. This secures the income from agriculture and also increases the safety of the local population.
Securing the future through effective water management
A country’s infrastructure consists of more than just roads and airports. Waters are just as important, if not more important, for the economic development of a country. This applies to natural rivers as well as man-made canals and ditches. This critical infrastructure is becoming increasingly important, especially in times of climate change and the associated extreme weather events. Irrigation for industry and agriculture in dry periods is becoming more important, but it is also important to cope with increasing volumes of water. Heavy rainfall events continue to increase not only in frequency but also in magnitude. Machines such as the BERKY Poseidon 770 are important tools for creating new infrastructure and maintaining existing infrastructure.
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