Over the last few decades,technical textiles have emerged as a new class of civil engineering materialbringing out revolutionary changes in numerous areas including dams, roads,embankments, erosion control, soil reinforcement etc.

Check-damsare small barriers built across the direction of water flow on shallow riversand streams for the purpose of water harvesting. The small dams retain excesswater flow during monsoon in a suitable catchment area adjoining the structure.Water pressure created in the catchment area helps force the impounded waterinto the ground. The major environmental benefit of check dam is thereplenishment of nearby groundwater reserves and wells. The water entrapped bythe dam, surface and subsurface, although primarily intended for use inirrigation during the monsoon and later during the dry season, but can also beused for livestock and domestic needs.

Thepresent paper deals with design and development of flexible check dam made fromcomposite material of nylon fabric substrate and rubber compound executed undera sub-project of National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP) of IndianCouncil of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Rubber check dams have beenfabricated and installed for evaluation. Inflation and deflation of many suchflexible dams can control flood/drought situation to a great extent resultingin saving and optimum utilization of precious water.

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This article wasoriginally presented at Textiles - A Decade Ahead 2011 in PHD HouseNew Delhi. The North India Section of the Textile Institute and Department OfTextile Technology, IIT Delhi jointly organized this conference. The author ofthis article Dr. M K Talukdar is associated with Kusumgar Corporates PvtLtd, Mumbai; Dr. S K Chattopadhyay associated with CIRCOT, (ICAR),Mumbai; Mr. P R Roy Choudhury associated with IRMRA, Thane and Dr. NSahoo associated with DWM (ICAR), Bhubaneswar.