(In continuation with last post of this blog)
2.8 Incident C7 accountable to Mis-use of Facilities
There were a lot of facilities provided by the management to different types of users in the campus. I started critically looking into these facilities one by one gradually. One of these facilities included the free electricity supply to the officer’s bungalows. Having seen the very high amount of electricity bills paid monthly to the ASEB, the necessity of taking appropriate measures for curtailing the electricity consumption was strongly felt at my end. Some aspects of energy-auditing ware then taken up. This process reflected the fact that the consumption was very high almost in all the officer’s bungalows. This observation necessitated the detailed study of monthly metre-readings of each bungalow for a certain period. This study eventually reflected the very high rate of consumption even to the extent of 600/700 units per month in some of the bungalows. On the basis of these data, a detailed report was prepared along with my proposal of a concrete measure of putting a limit for consumption of free electricity to the officers depending on their respective grades. Through a series of discussion with the top management, the concrete measure, as proposed from my end in respect of putting the limit for free electricity to the officers’ bungalows was finalised and approved with the clear condition of payment of applicable electricity-charge for the units consumed in excess of the admissible limits of free consumption of electricity in bungalows. The new policy, as approved was immediately implemented with supporting cares being strictly enforced for regular checking of the devices for automatic controls for home appliances such as refrigerators, geysers, air conditioners etc. including a continuous effort being directed towards the reduction of wattage of bulbs at appropriate locations of bungalows. Initially, this measure on its implementation created dis-satisfaction among a section of the affected officers. In fact, a lot of negative criticism on my initiatives had to be cooly digested in view of my conviction for taking all possible measures considered feasible those days for ensuring economic use of electrical power, keeping in mind the national crisis of the substantial gap existing between the total power generated and the one required for supply to the consumers. I was fully in favour of the truth that a unit of power saved is a unit of power generated.
I kept on pursuing other feasible measures absolutely necessary for economising the cost being incurred in the front of supply of electrical power to the TES campus. The next step taken was in respect of reducing the energy consumption in the front of street lighting and security lighting in buildings. Those days, the aspects of unconventional power such as solar power were not developed, as it is today. Therefore, the choices for me then were limited only to the conventional ones. The street lights existing then in the campus were reviewed basically in the aspects of spacings, wattage of bulbs and duration of switch-on. Anomalies in respect of all these parameters were critically analysed and corrective measures such as adjustments of spacings, replacement of high-wattage ordinary bulbs by tube lights, strict enforcements of time for switch-on and switch-off with due regard to seasonal variation etc. were executed on urgent basis with the cost being incurred from the amount available in the approved recurring-budget. The supply of electricity to the campus had to be ensured 24×7 hours. For this purpose, the cost incurred for purchase of diesel, the fuel for the generators (then 3 nos. of generators existed) was substantial. Efforts were made to economise the expenditure incurred on this account as well by regulating the time of running generators during the two periods of working hours and non-working hours on one hand and on the other, by keeping a strict vigilence on the efficiency of the generators.
After sometime, the results of the measures taken, as stated above started to be reflected through the appreciable reduction in ASEB energy bills and also in the gradual fall in the cost incurred on account of the purchase of diesel, bulbs etc. In fact, after a few months, a detailed report on the effects of the measures taken up was prepared and submitted to the top management. On getting the report so submitted, one day, the Director commented—-Dr. Hem, I thought, you are a specialised structural engineer only. How come, you have such a good knowledge in fields like electrical and mechanical engineering as well! I responded in a lighter note——Sir, my undergraduate course in engineering was such that we, all the students for the first two years of the total 4 years of the B. E. course of Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering had a common syllabus. Those days, the completion of the first two years (Part I of B. E. course) was treated by the Government of Assam as equivalent to a Diploma in Engineering. That way, Sir I hold a Diploma in both electrical and mechanical engineering. He laughed and reacted—I see. You have been doing a good job. Keep it up.This has been even today a very important aspect of undergraduate courses particularly in Civil, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. I myself derived a lot of benefits from this aspect of technical education during my professional life. However, the extent of benefit does depend fully on the scope one gets for culture of knowledge in different relevant areas. I am indeed grateful to TES for providing me with this scope.
The reflection of this incident on myself has been there even today. When I see the street light on the road in the front of my residence in Guwahati (Assam) getting on at around 5-30p.m. every day even on the days of May/June /July, during which darkness sets in around 6 to 6-30 p.m., my mind is immediately drawn to the aspect of wastage of national power. I cannot but pray to the Almighty for showering His blessings on those on the helm of affairs for avoiding this type of energy loss.
2.9 Incident C8 accountable to a Professional Challenge
TES campus (those days) had two broad parts, separated by the Jorhat—Mariani Railway Line—-one was on the eastern side and the second one was on the western side. The second one had basically officer’s bungalows and a colony of quarters for the 4th grade employees. The major portion of this part of the campus had a perennial problem of artificial flood during the rainy season, causing thereby different kinds of sufferings to the residents of the affected area—particularly to those of the colony of 4th grade employees. A number of measures taken earlier failed to yield a permanent solution. The whole situation was explained to me one day by the Director and I was entrusted with the task of solving this problem by adopting the appropriate measures for a permanent solution without bothering for the expenditures to be required. I assured him to the effect—-Sir, I will conduct a reconnaissance survey of the whole area and come back to you with a technical report.
I took a few days for completing my reconnaissance survey. On completion of the same, I prepared a technical report to be given to the Director. The summary of that report truly embraced the following salient points.
*The area concerned apparently consisted of some portions having levels visibly lower than that of the level of the culvert(in respect of the flow of stormwater) then existing on the Club Road (near Jorhat Gymkhana Club), through which the main drain carrying the stormwater from the western part of the TES used to cross.
*The drainage system then existing in the affected portion was apparently not properly graded.
* Initial Requirement was to go for preparing a detailed Contour Map of the area concerned.
*It would be only the contour map on the basis of which, a detailed scheme might be prepared for a permanent solution of the problem in hand.
The Direct was pleased on getting my report and I was immediately given the ‘go-ahead’ clearance. On receipt of the clearance, I felt the necessity of a temporary competent technical person to assist me in conducting the necessary survey works for the preparation of the said Contour Map of the area. All the available technical hands under my command then were busy with other activities of the maintenance and construction unit, since many activities such as those described through the preceding incidents were on. Obviously, I had to approach again the Director for getting his necessary approval to appoint a temporary technical hand for this purpose. He (the Director) was prompt enough to accord the required approval. Then it became my responsibility to find a suitable person and to appoint him temporarily for the purpose.
It was just at that stage, a strong belief of mine to the effect that ‘the Almighty is always there to assist everybody trying to do something with full dedication’ got strengthened by a coincidence of incidents. After a few days, one of my brilliant students taught in JEC came to my office and stated—‘Sir, our final B.E. examination has been postponed for an indefinite period in view of the Assam Movement. I have been at a loss as what to do now. Can I get some temporary job under you Sir?’ I was truly amazed on seeing the sequence of happenings and thanked the Almighty silently for His kindness and asked my student— —‘how much salary you expect? He responded—‘Whatever you pay, Sir. I will be glad to work under you’.Then, I asked him to come next day and left him for that day.
Next day, he came and the appointment letter was handed over to him. Accordingly, he joined and the works of survey were duly started. There was no problem with the survey-equipment, since all were available with the Advisory Department of the institute—the department that used to conduct training programs on surveying for the people from member- tea- gardens of TES. On completion of the field works, the contour map was duly prepared. Based on the contour map so prepared, a detailed drainage scheme for that area was prepared. The salient items of work involved in the scheme so designed included the following:
*Raising the existing ground levels of some portions of the part under consideration through earth filling to a level facilitating the natural flow of stormwater into the adjoining drains primarily on the basis of the level of the outfall (the culvert near Gymkhana Club).
*Grading/Regrading the existing drains for flow of stormwater to the main drain having the outfall through the said culvert.
*It was further conceived in the proposed scheme that no permanent construction in the drains to be graded/regraded/newly laid over some portions would be done before the system would get tested at least over one monsoon season.
The technical report was then prepared along with the projected cost for the main works covered in the above-noted first two points. It was submitted to the Director for necessary approval. On receipt of the approval, the execution was started on an emergency basis and completed before the onset of the monsoon to follow. To the surprise of many including the Director himself, the scheme so executed succeeded, as duly demonstrated by its performance during the whole rainy season that followed.
The experiences and the confidence, I gathered through planning, designing and executing this small project have been paying me even today in different ways. It is truly this stock of experiences and confidence that motivated me to look into the intensifying issue of urban flooding prevailing today. This motivation has culminated eventually in the recent publication of my second book (a small one) entitled ‘Urban Flooding & Rainwater Harvesting (yet to be launched by the Publisher concerned)16. I am indeed, grateful to TES for providing me with this scope for acquiring such valuable experiences in my professional life.
2.10 Incident C9 accountable to a Professional Challenge
During the period of my service with TES, there were a number of branches of TES such as those at Nagrakata (West Bengal), Silkuri (Silchar, Assam), Thakurbari (Tejpur, Assam), Dikom (Dibrugarh, Assam) etc. I had to take care of the new constructions coming up at all these branches in addition to the major problems relating to maintenance activities therein. A major problem coming up at a certain stage related to the adverse effects caused by the problem of rising dampness in an Officer’s bungalow at Nagrakata. A lot of damages of belongings and health of the residents were caused. The bungalow was a new one completed just before my joining. On my physical inspection, it was found that the building was not having the DPC layer as normally necessary at the ground floor level. As a remedial measure, the introduction of a DPC layer at the suitable location was a difficult and time-consuming task. But it was successfully carried out in that bungalow. The technique adopted has been described in details in article 6.3.2.2.3 on page 263 of my book9. The interested readers may kindly refer to the book. A detailed discussion on the adopted techniqueherein has been avoided in view of its inclusion in that book9.
A few days back, a retired engineer from Government of Assam (who is a former student of mine) came to meet me. I was pleased to hear him saying—Sir, I have gone through your book. The technique of introducing a DPC layer in an old building, as described by you has been very useful to me. I have faced the problem of rising dampness in my own residence. I have planned to adopt your technique. I cautioned him—- I adopted the technique at a time when modern tools such as concrete injectors were not readily available. You can use now even concrete injectors for introducing the DPC layer at the suggested level. But you have got to take extreme care in respect of the proper proportion of the required ingredients for the DPC concrete. Additionally, you have got to ensure that there is no rise of dampness either from underneath the ground floor or through the joint between the DPC layer and floor concrete.
Similarly, I had to deal with a series of maintenance issue in all the branches during the period of my service with TES. The incident to follow will briefly deal with a typical case of solving the water scarcity issue of another branch.
2.11 Incident C10 accountable to a Professional Challenge
At a certain stage, a severe crisis on account of water scarcity to the whole complex of Silkuri branch developed. The Director called me to his office and I was directed to proceed to that branch and to solve the problem at any cost at the earliest. Accordingly, I did proceed to Silkuri. The whole complex there was situated on a mild-hilly zone having some valleys with narrow widths. The existing water-supply system in the complex then along with reasons resulting in the crisis was critically studied.
The source of water for supply to the whole complex was a well dug on the sloping bank of small valley through which a stream having a perennial flow of water did exist. The raw water from the well, used to be pumped into the treatment plant for ensuring regular water supply to the complex. The major reason for the crisis was found to be the drying-up of the well, since that was the winter season. It was evident that the fall in the under-ground water- table to an appreciable extent was basically caused by the substantial fall in the quantity of flow of water through the stream along the valley. On the basis of this understanding of the situation, the idea of the immediate creation of an artificial lake in the valley carrying the stream came to my mind. The side opposite to our side belonged to Silkuri tea garden. Naturally, we had to take up the matter with the tea-garden management. Eventually, we all agreed on the creation of the proposed artificial lake in view of other associated benefits to accrue on its implementation such a development of a fishery, availability of water for irrigating the adjoining tea plantations, improvement of the existing environment etc.
We looked for a narrow width of the valley on downstream close to our site of the well. Luckily, we got it. An earthen dam was then constructed on an emergency basis with due considerations being given to all technical parameters. Within a few days after the construction of the earthen dam, water started accumulating in the so created artificial lake along with a rise in the water table of the well yielding the required water for our complex. The well kept on giving the intended service that continued even up to the year in which I left TES.
The success achieved by the creation of an artificial lake at Silkuri left a heavy reflection on me. This is because of this reflection, I advocated for the creation of artificial lakes in suitable locations even in addressing the problem of urban flooding through my second book16 referred to earlier.
(To be continued in the next Post of this Blog)
10‘Behavior of one-story reinforced concrete frame infilled with brickwork under lateral loads’, by H. K. Barua and S. K. Mallick, Proc., Sixth World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, January 10-14, 1977
11. ‘Behavior of mortar infilled steel frames under lateral loads’, by H. K. Barua and S. K. Mallick, Building and Environment, Vol. 12, 1977, pp263—277, Great Britain.
12. ‘A review of the behavior of infilled frames under lateral loads’, by H. K. Barua and S. K. Mallick, The Indian Concrete Journal, Vol 51, July, 1977
13. https://aau.ac.in/about/Professor-Devajit-Chaliha/6
14.https://in.images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrKC_7eCixoDLMHEzbnHgx.;_ylu=Y29sbwMEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Nj?p=Photo+of+Hiteswar+Saikia%2C+Ex-Chief+Minister+of+
15.https://in.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=Awr1QQTKMzBoOgIAtIy7HAx.;_ylu=Y29sbwNzZzMEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Nj?p=heritage+bungalows+of+tocklai+tea+research+i
16. A book entitled ‘Urban Flooding & Rainwater Harvesting’ by Dr. H. K. Barua, Exceller Books (Global Press), Kalkota(likely to be launched soon) ********************************************
