Denmark pump giant Grundfos aims to rescue Sri Lanka from floods
SINGAPORE/ DENMARK - Sri Lanka is now ready to embrace new technology in flood and drainage management infrastructure essential to reduce the impact of future floods in the catchment of the Colombo Water Basin after implementing piecemeal solutions for several decades.
The scale and intensity of floods hitting the country in an untimely manner during off seasons was very different to what the country has experienced in the past several decades where our ancestors have both grown and harvested crops.
According to Minister of Meg apolis and We s t e r n Development Patali Champika Ranawaka, the government has decided to intensify the integrated flood management system and interventions to enhance the economic value of the water bodies by properly managing water as a priority task without introducing patch work solutions.
Floods in Colombo are caused by heavy rainfall and a mac- ro-drainage system with insufficient storage, conveyance, and outflow capacity.
Under this set up, the Ministry has decided to upgrade the existing pumping stations and build new stations under a US $320 million project aimed at setting up an efficient flood protection plan for the Colombo city while improving roads and solid waste disposal, a senior official of the Ministry told the Business Times.
Denmark- based Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solutions and water technology has expressed willingness to introduce a ‘ smart’ water grid that integrates existing technolo- gies such as sensors, rainfall measurements, automation technologies, intelligent pumping systems, data analytics and industrial Internet among other things, officials of the company said.
Addressing media personnel at a special forum in Singapore, Grundfos Regional Business Director-water utility in Asia Pacific Region Tan Chee Meng said that his company has submitted expressions of interests to upgrade St. Sebastian North Lock Pumping Station and North Lock Gates and the construction of pumping station at North Lock with modern digital technology.
He noted that Grundfos has a wide range of pumping solutions to meet the requirements for high flow at low head, and flood control pumps can be engineered to meet specific requirements.
Limiting the potential damage of coastal and inland flooding requires a pump solution that is dependable. A combination of technical know-how, industry leadership and solution-oriented product development means Grundfos said, it has the pumps and control solutions to cope with these heavy demands.
Grundfos solutions include flood- control pumps, which can be engineered to provide a more customised solution and is engineered to cope with the heavy demands of flood management, he pointed out.
The group of journalists then visited Groundfos Centre in Denmark during a media tour and attended a meeting there.
Answering a country specific question raised by the Business Times, Regional Managing Director of Asia Pacific Region, Kim Jensen, pointed out that he considers Sri Lanka as an emerging economy and the company has been doing business with the island nation for over two decades.
While expressing optimism on the ongoing mega mixed development projects for their future business including the Colombo Port City, he revealed that Grundfos has provided pumping solutions for the newly built Shangri-La hotel.
Flood control pumping is characterised by a requirement for pump solutions with high flow and low head. Powerful axial-flow KPL and mixed-flow KWM pumps for flood control are specifically designed for durable use in pumping stations, he told the Business Times on the sidelines of the meeting.