The services of Mir Ali Nawaz Jung Bahadur, who was the Chief Engineer during the Nizam’s rule in the erstwhile Hyderabad State, were recollected on his 140th birth anniversary here on Tuesday.
Speakers including Energy Minister G. Jagadish Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director of TS-Genco and TS-Transco D. Prabhakar Rao, CMD of TS-Southern Power Distribution Company G. Raghuma Reddy, Officer on Special Duty in the Irrigation Minister’s office Sridhar Rao Deshpande and others termed him as the architect of irrigation projects of yesteryears n Telangana region.
It was unfortunate that the name of British engineer Sir Arthur Cotton was remembered and hailed as ‘Apara Bhageeratha’ for constructing barrages across Godavari and Krishna rivers but Nawaz Jung who did similar work for the Telangana region remained unknown to present day generations till the Telangana Government announced to celebrate his birth anniversary on July 11 as Telangana Engineers Day every year, the speakers said.
Apart from multi-purpose projects such as Nizamsagar, Osmansagar, Himayathsagar and Alisagar, the historic buildings in Hyderabad including those of the Arts College of Osmania University, Hyderabad House in Delhi, State Central Library, High Court, Assembly and others were designed and constructed by Nawaz Jung, the speakers recollected.
He was also instrumental in the diversion of Krishna and Tungabhadra river waters and the water sharing agreement between Madras and Hyderabad governments.
He also served as the Chairman of National Planning Committee on river training and irrigation.
The occasion was also celebrated separately by the Rural Water Supply and Panchayat Raj Departments, where Engineers-in-Chief B. Surender Reddy and Satyanarayana Reddy, respectively, paid rich tributes to Nawaz Jung.
