Engineers Day: Sir M Visvesvaraya's journey from COEP Pune to engineering greatness
On Engineers Day, the story of Sir M Visvesvaraya's journey from Pune's COEP to becoming one of India's most celebrated engineers
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya is remembered as one of India's great engineers. His birthday, September 15, is observed every year as Engineers Day in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of engineering. He played a major role in giving shape to several important projects related to large dams, water management and industrial development.
Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1861, in Muddenahalli village in Karnataka. He completed his civil engineering studies at the College of Engineering, Pune, known as COEP, and then joined the Public Works Department of the Bombay Presidency. He later became Chief Engineer of Mysore State. In recognition of his contribution, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 1955.
Among Visvesvaraya's works, the Krishna Raja Sagara, or KRS Dam, in Mysore stands out. He played the lead role in the planning and engineering design of the dam, built on the Cauvery river. The project significantly strengthened irrigation and drinking water supply in Mysore and the surrounding areas.
In 1908, the Musi river in Hyderabad saw a devastating flood that caused heavy destruction. Visvesvaraya was called in to help the city overcome the flooding problem. He implemented several important flood control, drainage and reservoir schemes in Hyderabad. On his advice, a modern system was put in place to protect the city from floods.
Visvesvaraya also devised a new automatic gate system to control water levels in reservoirs, known as the sluice gate. This technology was later used in several of India's major dams.
His expert advice was also sought to protect the Visakhapatnam port from damage caused by sea sand and to strengthen its safety.
He was a strong advocate of industrialisation in India. As Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918, he placed special emphasis on the development of industry, education, banking and technical institutions. He played a key role in setting up several industrial and educational institutions in Mysore.
