The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Rich tributes paid to Sir Arthur Cotton

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Saturday, May 16, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Rich tributes paid to Sir Arthur Cotton

Staff Reporter

Felicitations to former chief engineer and others mark his 206th birth anniversary

His contributions to the irrigation recalled
Documentary on Sir Arthur Cotton sought

— Photo: S. Rambabu

IN REMEMBRANCE: Lieutenant Murthy Jasti of River Bay Resorts performing Abhishekam to the statue of Sir Arthur Cotton on the occasion of his birth anniversary in Rajahmundry on Friday.

Kakinada: Rich tributes were paid to Sir Arthur Cotton at JNTU-Kakinada on Friday on the occasion of his 206th birth anniversary by Vice-Chancellor Allam Appa Rao and retired engineers of the Irrigation Department. Prof. Rao also felicitated former chief engineer (irrigation) A. Rameswara Rao and others who made valuable contributions to the irrigation engineering.

Relentless efforts

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Rao said India would not have witnessed the green revolution but for the relentless efforts of Sir Arthur Cotton to realise the full potential of the arable lands by building a network of canals and drains in major river basins. Unfortunately, Sir Arthur Cotton was identified with only the Godavari canal system and Dowleswaram barrage whereas he had played an instrumental role in the construction of the Ganges canal.

He had also envisaged the Gannavaram aqueduct and several other projects that helped farmers increase productivity by leaps and bounds.

Sir Arthur Cotton was basically a military man who had the penchant for engineering which eventually led him to design and execute some of the world’s best irrigation schemes in India. However, he did not get the due recognition in spite of his great accomplishments though his memories were relived every year on his birth and death days.

Prof. Rao suggested to the Civil Engineering Department to make out a documentary on Sir Arthur Cotton and make it an integral part of the irrigation engineering course planned to be offered in the varsity.

The innovative concepts of Sir Cotton have to be studied in detail and scrupulously followed upon to find new ways of augmenting the potential of India’s irrigation systems.

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