Kinnerasani Project—An Experiment in the Application of Incentive Bonus

The construction of the earth dam of Kinnerasani Project has been taken up depart-mentally using heavy earth moving equipment. The main earth dam which closes the river gap is 1/2 mile (0.8 km.) long, 122 ft. (37.2 m.) high and requires conveying, depositing in place and compacting a total quantity of 67,625 units (of 1,000 cu.ft.) or 2.50 million cu. yd. of earth. The main river course is blocked by an earth dam and the river has to be diverted, through a saddle into a subsidiary valley. The river bed level was +290 and the saddle level after lowering was +340. Hence it became imperative to raise the main earth dam in the river gap in one season to a height of 72 ft. (21.9 m.) above the river bed in order to permit the diversion of the river and prevent overtopping of the dam. This single operation to be done in a period of 6 months involved raising the earth dam to +365 level and conveying, dumping, spreading and compacting in place 38,800 units or 1.44 million cu. yd. of earth. Allowing for holidays and hold-ups due to delays in completing the various ancilliary works like filter drains and rock toes without which the earth could not be conveyed, a net period of hardly 180 to 190 days was available during which the work had to be done at an average rate of 200 units per day in order to achieve the target. This was a fairly stiff task.

It was in these circumstances that a well knit and purposeful Organisation had to be set up and the Incentive Bonus Scheme was conceived in order to obtain a willing and enthusiastic co-operation of all the operating staff working on the job without which the task was well nigh impossible.