Sir. Arthur Cotton who built Dowleswaram barrage, Andhra.en.wikipedia.org |
Statue of Sir Arthur Cotton. Dowleswaram Barrage, Andhra,India dreamvacationsindia.wordpress.com |
Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton KCSI (15 May 1803 – 24 July 1899) was a British general and irrigation engineer. Born on 15 May 1803,
Dowleswaram/Godaveri barrage, Andhra en.wikipedia.org |
The bridge across the river Godaveri. An elevated road going over the bridge to join it
Dowleswaram Barrage near Rajahmundry on River Godavari, Andhra. en.wikipedia.org/wik |
.Dowleswaram Barrage or Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage alamy.com |
Arthur Cotton was the first engineer who conducted a marine survey of the Pamban passage between India and Ceylon where the famous Pampan railway draw bridge stands now near Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. Even to day it is an engineering marvel and a tourist attraction connecting the mainland and Rameswaram island. In the Kallanai - Grand Anaicut near Tiruchirapalli city, TN built by the great Chola king Karikala Cholan in the 2nd century (the oldest water-diversion or water-regulatory structure in the world), excess silting was a main problem. Cotton came up with some suggestions to
The work on the Godavari Anicut / barrage started in 1847 and completed at Dowleswaram in 1852. The Dowleswaram Barrage was 15 feet high and 3.5 km long. He was instrumental in building an Aqueduct on the Krishna River that was completed by 1855.
In 1840s' itself he had prepared plans for Visakhapatnam port based on the location, geography and depth of the bay in that region. In 1858, Arthur cotton had an ambitious plan to interlink all rivers and canals in the state of Odisa as part of drought relief measures.
Having retired from services in 1860, he was knighted in 1861 and left India for his native place. Subsequently he visited India and advised the authorities on some river valley projects that would be beneficial to the Indians. He is still a much revered figure in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for his contribution to irrigation in the delta regions and other areas.
A new barrage was built across the Godavari upstream side of the Anicut and was aptly named after Sir Arthur Cotton for his distinguished services in India. The barrage was dedicated to the Nation by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, late Indira Gandhi in 1982 in honor of Sir. Arthur Cotton.
Tit Bits: The other side of the story is if you are honest, sincere and dedicated to your work, sometimes you will get into trouble. Being gentle, humane and a true Christian in spirit and action, Sir Cotton was very kind to the natives and understood their problems regarding water management, droughts, agriculture, etc and tried to mitigate them in his capacity as a well-known engineer. He was a true Christian and used to attend the Church of the Godavari Delta Mission at Rajahmundry, now a big city in Andhra. Unfortunately he earned the ire of the jealous British officials and faced near impeachment proceedings. His pioneering work across the Godavari river mitigated the ravages of famine and cyclones that affected the people of Godavari. Further, a vast track of land became cultivable on account of the barrage.
About his Godavari projects in 1878, Cotton had to appear before a House of Commons Committee to justify his proposal to build an anicut across the big river. As part of the hearing, his letter to the then Secretary of State for India reveals his ambition to build the anicut across the Godavari. His letter concluded:
"My Lord, one day's flow in the Godavari river during high floods is equal to one whole year's flow in the Thames of London". Cotton was almost disappointed by the British Government's careless delay in implementing the project.
Sir Arthur Cotton's name will be remembered by every Indian till the world comes to an end. People of India loved him so much the Pindaparadhanam (pinda) was offered as homage as per the Hindu tradition to Arthur Cotton during 2015 Godavari Maha Pushkaram by Palakollu MLA Nimmala Ramanaidu.
The tomb of Gen. Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton KCSI en.wikipedia.org |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Cotton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Cotton Educational Services. p. 4. ISBN 81-206-1829-7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Cotton Educational Services. p. 4. ISBN 81-206-1829-7