Sagarmatha research and development center and Sagarmatha student research council, research groups of Sagarmatha Engineering College, Sanepa successfully completed a one day research field visit. The field visit was conducted under the leadership of the Research Director of Sagarmatha Research and Development Center (SRDC) Dr Bhupati Neupane along with SRDC, SSRC, Research Members, Research Supervisor, and Faculty Member. 

The field visit was planned to Dhap dam, a concrete face rockfill dam located in Gokarneshwor municipality-01, Kathmandu. The total water capacity of the dam is twelve lakh meter cube. It can discharge four hundred liters of water per second. Dam’s top height is twenty-four meters, the maximum bottom width is one hundred meters and Dam’s top length is one hundred seventy-five meters. The crest width is eight meters and the Dam crest elevation is 2090.14 masl. 

Researchers’ students from different faculties participated and performed all the disciplines of research fieldwork. The proposed Dhap dam is important for followings;

• The newly constructed site is important for study on engineering prospects.
• This is the best place to study on the present and future hazard assessment in Kathmandu city.
• Researchers might learn its construction, maintenance as well as its environmental impact.

The studied area is constructed to store the rainwater and release that stored water in a controlled manner in the Bagmati River during the dry season. The purpose of the field visit was to perform dummy research in one day. Objectives of the research, methodology, data collection, data analysis, developing results, and finally drawing a conclusion after discussion were the outlines achieved by the researchers. After the data collection and analysis, it was submitted to the experts and hence they decided on the work value and gave points. As per the instructions from Dr Neupane researchers were divided into eight/nine groups consisting of two members each. Researchers were given the drafts which they had to follow and complete the research accordingly. To ensure the credibility and reliability of research results, it is important to follow a rigorous research methodology and to report the results accurately and honestly. Research methodologies adopted by researchers during the field visit were research question and hypothesis, research design, and literature review. Every group was free to choose a topic on-site and perform the activities. A few topics that got high appreciation from the experts were “Tourism Potential of the Site”, “Silting and Scouring Problem at the Dhap Dam”, “How Water in Dhap Dam can be used for multi-purpose”, “Flood Analysis on the Site Location” etc. Tools that were used for a one-day research field visit were diary, pen, paper, measuring tools, GPS devices, cameras, safety gears, computers, and other particular tools/instruments for special topics. Geological and hydrological studies were also performed for exploring engineering aspects of the site.    

As a researcher, we learned different skills and technical terms while direct observing the things/structures/devices present on the site. Problem-solving techniques, working in groups, data collection and analysis, conversation with local people, use of locally available resources, etc. were the few capabilities that developed among researchers in few amounts. Learning how to work on-site is something crucially needed for civil engineering students. One of the key abilities that any researcher should have is on the spot decision-making skills. What methodology should be adopted for maximum efficiency of research, how to carry out the research in allocated funds etc. are sensitive decisions that one should take during the research.                                                  

The major challenges that were faced were arriving and reaching on time and starting the task. In conclusion, a one-day field research field visit can be challenging but it is a rewarding task for a researcher. It requires effective planning and time management to ensure that the visit is productive and fruitful. A researcher can collect data and gain insights that can be used to draw conclusions and make recommendations.

Ayush Karn

Sagarmatha Engineering College