The engineering prowess of Sir Arthur Cotton that is Dowleswaram (Cotton’s) Barrage, had converted thousands and thousands of barren lands into rich delta area which is also known as a rice bowl of united Andhra Pradesh. The same British Engineer who was considered as father of the Godavari Barrage had envisaged Polavaram or Indira Sagar major irrigation project proposed across the Godavari long time ago. Arthur Cotton who was born on 15 May, 1803 in England is still enjoys the popularity among the farmers of both Godavari districts and Krishna delta areas.
During the construction of the barrage across the Godavari, Sir Arthur Cotton struck upon the idea of constructing a storage reservoir at Purushottamapatnam in the 1850s. This is where the State government plans to construct the Polavaram project.
“We have records in the Cotton Museum underlining the need for a storage tank for the Dhawaleswaram Barrage that could be constructed near Purushottamapatnam, which is at the mouth of Sripada Sagar,” said M. Venkateswara Rao, Engineer-in-Chief of Polavaram project.
However, after the Polavaram was declared as National Project, the Union government had taken up the project and announced to complete in next four years. However, the allocation of Rs.100 crores in the recent Union budget for setting up offices of the Polavaram project has led to creation of little gap in relation between Center and State government.
Storage reservoir
There are some 3,000 statues of Sir Arthur Cotton in the two districts, which reflect the popularity he enjoys among farmers.
“Now, we see much water going waste into the sea. But for the engineering prowess of Sir Arthur Cotton, this region would have been in the grip of drought,” said Ch. Bhaskar Reddy of Dulla village in Kadiam constituency. Mr. Reddy performs ‘abhishekam’ with milk to the bronze statue of Sir Arthur Cotton he put up in front of his house.
Irrigation offices in this delta area remember Sir Cotton by putting a photograph and a poem dedicated to the great engineer under it.
Tomb in neglected state
The tomb of Sir Arthur Cotton’s daughter near here lies in a state of neglect, covered by weeds. His daughter had succumbed to a snake bite during the construction of anicut across Godavari. But, when the Cotton’s grandson Robert C. Cotton came to Rajahmundry in the year 2009, the then AP Hindi Academy Chairman Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, ONGC officer Sunkara Ravi had taken issue to the then Chief Minister. The tomb was cleaned temporarily by Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation sanitation department and then no one took care about it.
The guesthouse on Bommuru hilltop, the place where Sir Arthur Cotton took rest during the construction work is equally neglected and Tourism, Archaeology, R&B and Engineering Head Works Departments at Dowleswaram could not resolve who should take up responsibility for its facelift.
Today is 212th
birth anniversary
of renowned
British engineer
Sir Arthur Cotton
