Our country Ethiopia, in the avenue of all-embracing developmental thrust, is badly in need of troubleshooting projects.
It doesn’t come as a surprise to see across the country concrete jungles swarmed cities that presumably need water lifting pumps. The jungles include condo houses. Sadly however most of the pumps presuppose electricity, the supply of which is observably becoming demanding. Is it possible to alleviate this challenge using other easily-assessable sources of the country such as water?
Also pumps play quite a role in spurring irrigation instrumental in effecting the country’s drive towards food self-sufficiency. But such mostly imported pumps outlaying hard-won hard currencies are in short supply.
In this piece, we shall afford you a window into how a researcher father with an innovative knack along with his late daughter was fighting hard to redress the challenge.
Tesfaye Yalew is a Civil Engineer (M. Sc.).He is a noted professional in Construction Management and Hydraulic Engineering with a wealth of knowledge and skills in the sector. He has been working in the water resources management for about 30 years including his teaching experience in some of the higher learning institutions in Ethiopia .He served an expert in various governmental and private firms.
He served in different capacities (Expert to Bureau Head) in governmental institutions. Tesfaye used to teach Engineering Courses in Higher Learning Institutions. He has taken part in different design and consultancy works, both as an individual consultant, member and team leader of consultancy teams. He had conducted Urban Storm Water Management Studies to over 10 major towns in Ethiopia (under NUPI).The Storm Water Management Manual preparation to UNRA (under SABA Engineering), the Storm Water Management Manual to AACRA (Under Metaferia Consult with SMEC) are few among the experiences to be mentioned. He rendered professional services to: UNHABITAT (for preparation of MDG Document in relation to Urban Infrastructure); World Bank (as procurement advisor for MoE). He had also worked at a Country Manager position for CoST – Ethiopia; as Regional Advisor for CoST African countries; as Trainer on Construction Management (with emphasis on Risk and Safety); as Arbitrator and Dispute Review Expert.
Currently, Tesfaye is the owner of Tesfaye Yalew Civil Engineering Construction Consulting firm.
Regarding what initiated him to come up with the experience-packed, knowledge-arming and sought -after book on the aforementioned subject, “In order to take an advantage of the time freedom that I have other than the routine tasks when I had been employed, I came across the development of water lifting technology in order to contribute my share to the advancement of water resources management and help to boost the irrigation practice in Ethiopia through technological innovation,” Tesfaye said during an interview with The Ethiopian Herald at his compound where he uses to display a simulation of the water lifting technology that he invented.
Referred as Hydraulic Ram Pump (translated in Amharic by the writer of the book himself as Wouhan Be Wouha literally to mean ‘Lifting Water up with Water’) is an automatic device developed by Tesfaye. It uses the energy of the flowing water such as spring, stream or river to pump portion of the water to a height above the elevation of the source. With a continuous source of flow of water, a Hydraulic Ram Pump operates non-stop with no external energy source. A Hydraulic Ram Pump is a structurally simple unit consisting of two moving metallic elements.
The Hydraulic Ram Pump is a viable and appropriate water pumping technology for developing countries. It has been used for over two centuries in many parts of the world due to their simplicity and reliability.
Although there are some examples of successful ram pumps installation in developing countries, their use to date has merely scooped a negligible percentage of their potential. The main reason for this resides in lack of widespread local knowledge in the hydraulic principles, design and manufacturing of the pump.
“The increased appetite for green technologies is invigorating the demand for the pump in the developed countries as well.”
For the widespread use of Hydraulic Ram Pump, a local knowledge and skill on the technology is critical. Lack of such documented knowledge and skill could be the main reason why introduction of the technology to Ethiopia 60 years back could not sustain. The Book (written in Amharic) by Eng. Tesfaye Yalew would serve as a major leap to narrow down such gaps.
The first Hydraulic Ram Pump is reported to have been devised by an Englishman John Whitehurst in 1772. His design was not automatic and was controlled by opening and closing a stopcock. The first reported fully automatic hydraulic ram was developed by Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier (widely known for its hot air balloon) in the late 17’s (1793-1797).
Back to the project, “It is such applicable. Currently, I have written a book that explains what the water lifting technology is all about in the Ethiopian working language Amharic. The technology is tested workable at home. From now on, with industrialists in the sector, it is ready to get installed in the field and it can lift water up to 100 Km.
The project is now prepared in a form of a book in order to get it into the minds of the emerging researchers, innovators and investors to ensure its applicability, notes Tesfaye adding that “ this project is dedicated to my late daughter, who was also studying engineering (4th year) and passed away two years back due to car accident.”
“This project is a healing project for my entire family and I, to get out of this grief. My late daughter was an extraordinary student in the field and had been taking part in the development of this project starting from its inception. This occupied my thoughts so that the project will not remain at the shelf. I am working day and night to see this project flouring in the country,” Tesfaye recalls back the hard time he faced.
The fact that to outreach many the book is published in the working language of the country lauds appreciation. It deserves translation into many local languages given its timeliness.
This book conveys the message shelves shouldn’t be burial grounds of researches and projects. Researchers have to show perseverance while youngsters passion to come up with something worth to crow about. May God sustain Tesfay’s family in their bereavement.
BY HAFTU GEBREZGABIHER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 20 MAY 2022
