Question

Explain the chain pump system?

Answer 1

Hint: Various irrigation techniques have been evolved to fetch water from deep water bodies and use it for agriculture processes. Many of them have ancient roots as well.

Complete answer:
The chain pump is a carbon steel pump with numerous small circular discs positioned over an endless chain. It also consists of pallets to avoid leakage of water. It increases the efficacy of irrigation. In this method of irrigation, one end of the chain bearing the discs goes inside a pump that is slightly bigger in diameter than that of the discs. The other end bears a bucket and is dipped inside the water source. When the chain is pulled through the pump, water becomes entrapped in between the discs and gets pulled to the top of the tube. It has been used from ancient times, in various parts of Europe, China, and the middle-east. It is used to retrieve water from deep trenches, ditches, and low irrigation canals. It also reduces the labor required to pump water to high croplands and hilly areas.
The time of the invention of the chain pump is still in doubt. However, the first use of a chain pump was seen during 200 B.C. in Egypt, Europe using a gear wheel. It was also recorded in China in the 1st century, A.D., and was described by the Chinese philosopher Wang Chong. They called it ‘dragon backbones'.

Note: There is a vast variety of irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation, surface irrigation, Rahat, dhekli method, central pivot irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, etc. The most efficient method of irrigation is the ‘drip irrigation technique whereas the least efficient is the surface irrigation method.