New Delhi: Every year on September 15, Engineer’s Day is celebrated to pay homage to Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya. Better known as M Visvesvaraya, he was a legendary civil engineer who was also the Dewan of Mysore. He is hailed as one of India’s foremost civil engineers whose works and legacy have withstood the test of time. In this article, we will take a look at some of the interesting facts about him.
M Visvesvaraya: Know about the famous civil engineer
Visvesvaraya’s acquaintance with Gopal Krishna Gokhale
M Visvesvaraya completed his primary education in Bengaluru. While studying at the College of Engineering in Pune form where he would eventually graduate as an engineer with Diploma in Civil Engineering (DCE), he helped found the Deccan Club and became its first secretary. Notably, he knew the likes of Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade and Gopal Krishna Gokhale who were members of the Deccan Club.
The works of M Visvesvaraya in the Deccan Plateau
Visvesvaraya started his career in 1885 as an assistant engineer at the Bombay Presidency’s Public Works Department. In 1899, he joined the Indian Irrigation Commission. During his stint there, he came up with an intricate irrigation system which he implemented in the Deccan Plateau. Also, he patented a system of automatic weir water floodgates that was first implemented at Khadakvasla Dam near Pune in 1903. The system was successful and used at Gwalior’s Tigra Dam and Karnataka’s KRS Dam.
After his retirement, Visvesvaraya was employed by Nizam Osman Ali Khan, the richest man in the history of India. He played a key role in Hyderabad’s flood protection system and the work made him sort of a celebrity. He protected Visakhapatnam port from sea erosion and later was the Chief Engineer of Mysore’s KRS Dam.
As the Dewan of Mysore
Visvesvaraya became the Dewan of Mysore in 1912 and till 1918 when his stint got over, he led the development of the region. He was instrumental in the establishment of Mysore Soap Factory, Bangalore Agricultural University, State Bank of Mysore, and numerous other places including the Bangalore Press. He played a key role in founding Bengaluru’s University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in 1917, one of India’s first engineering institutes. He passed away in April 1962. For his works, the British government gave him knighthood and the Indian government honoured him with the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
M Visvesvaraya was a legendary civil engineer who was also the Dewan of Mysore. He is hailed as one of India’s foremost civil engineers whose works and legacy have withstood the test of time. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
