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Sir Mokshagundam Vishweshwaraiah, also known as M. Visvesvaraya, was a man of lofty ethics and discipline who was one of India’s most distinguished engineers. He was the principal architect behind the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam in Mandya, which assisted in converting the surrounding barren areas into productive farming grounds. He was an optimist who believed in living simply and thinking deeply. His father was a Sanskrit scholar who believed in giving his kid a high-quality education. Even though his parents were not wealthy, the little boy was raised in an environment rich in culture and tradition. When Visvesvaraya’s father died when he was only a teenager, tragedy rocked the beloved family.
Early Life:
Visvesvaraya was born in a village near Bangalore, India, to a Telugu Brahmin family. His father was a well-known Sanskrit scholar during his lifetime. His parents were straightforward but ethical individuals. Even though his family was not wealthy, his parents desired their son to receive a solid education. After finishing his elementary education at his hometown school, he went to high school in Bangalore. His father died when he was 15 years old, leaving his family penniless. Vishweshwaraiah began giving tuition to tiny children to pursue his schooling and support himself. He enrolled at Bangalore’s Central College and worked hard. Despite his challenges, he was a good student and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1881.
After receiving government assistance, he attended the famous College of Engineering in Pune.
Career:
After exhibiting his aptitude in the LCE and FCE tests, the Maharashtra government hired Visvesvaraya as an assistant engineer in the Nashik district in 1883. Following that, he built a complex irrigation system. Visvesvaraya completed several projects with his might, including the Krishnarajasagar Dam, Mysore Sandal Oil and Soap Factory, Bhadravati Iron and Steel Company, Mysore University, and Bank of Mysore. British engineers admired his abilities as a result of his singular achievements in his field.
After that, he took on numerous responsibilities and, in 1894, built the Shakkhar Dam, which was the first step in Sindh’s water system. Visvesvaraya had created a block system. He had made measures to stop the water from flowing to waste by employing steel doors to provide irrigation water for the farmers and not allow the water to go to waste. He was appointed Chief Engineer of the State of Mysore in 1909.
He was also worried about Mysore’s basic issues, such as poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, sickness, etc. In 1912, Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar of Mysore nominated him as the State Diwan due to his social activities in the city. As Diwan, he worked tirelessly to promote industrial development to improve the state’s economic and social conditions. He opened a sandalwood oil mill, a soap mill, a metal mill, and a chrome tanning mill. In 1918, he stepped down as the Diwan of Mysore.
He invented and patented an automatic water floodgate, which was initially deployed in the Khadakwasla reservoir in Pune in 1903. In 1932, he served as Chief Engineer on the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam development project. He proposed convening an “Economic Conference” to address issues such as illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, sickness, etc.
Replanning of the Krishnarajasagara dam:
Before taking over the Mysore PWD, Visvesvaraya visited Egypt and paid special attention to the Aswan project. He had recently served in India on dam projects such as the Khadakwasla and Bhatghar dams.
In 1910, Visvesvaraya and his designers conducted another assessment of the area and drew up preliminary plans for the reservoir and dam project. In terms of technicalities, practicalities, and budgets, the plans differed significantly from the original aims. It was designed to be the hub of an irrigation system that would serve commercial agriculture and industrial businesses. With a total capacity of 39 TMC, it was expected to take a decade to construct. The irrigation share of the project capital, according to Visvesvaraya, might be as high as 8%.
The construction of a dam is a challenging undertaking, and Visvesvaraya actively participated in discussions with all parties concerned. Following his discussions with the Kolar mining companies, the corporations agreed to pay a higher power price in the future decade.
Because the construction of dams of the Cauvery rivers might disrupt water flow into the surrounding state of Tamil Nadu, Madras had to approve it first. Fearing that the Krishnarajasagara dam would not supply enough water flow for the project, the Madras administration considered building a dam across the river near Mettur.
They were also against it because it could harm the farmers in the Tanjore delta. Visvesvaraya showed his Madras PWD coworkers that his project would have no effect on water flow into Madras, but this was inadequate to gain approval.
Conclusion:
From 1912-to 1918, Sir MV was the Diwan of Mysore. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955. During the British Indian Empire, King George V awarded him the title of Knight Commander for his contributions to the public good. Engineers Day is commemorated on September 15 in his honour. Sir MV is best known for designing the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam in Mysore. He was also one of the chief designing engineers to construct a flood-protection system in Hyderabad. In 1915, the British knighted Visvesvaraya as Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) for his contributions to society.
