About Sir M Visvesvaraya:
- Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, widely known as Sir MV, was a distinguished engineer, statesman, and scholar who held the position of Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918.
- He was known as the father of Modern Mysore for his outstanding contribution to society.
- Birth: He was born on 15th September 1861 in Muddenahalli village in Karnataka.
- Education: He completed his Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of Madras and completed civil engineering from the College of Science in Pune.
- Contributions:
- He was the chief engineer responsible for the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam in Mysore.
- He designed and patented automatic water floodgates in 1903, which were first installed at the Khadakwasla reservoir in Pune.
- In 1917, Visvesvaraya established the Government Engineering College in Bengaluru, which was later named University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering in his honour.
- He was a renowned precursor of economic planning in India.
- Awards:
- In 1955, the Government of India honoured him with the highest civilian honour — Bharat Ratna for his numerous industrial, economic and social projects.
- He was also conferred the British knighthood by King George V, earning the title "Sir."
Key Facts about Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam:
- Location: It is located below the confluence of river Kaveri with its tributaries, Hemavati and Lakshmana Tirtha, in the district of Mandya in Karnataka.
- It is a type of gravity dam.
- Usage:
- The water from the Dam is used for irrigation in Mysore and Mandya and is the main source of drinking water for Mysore, Mandya and Bengaluru city.
- It also ensures power supply to the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric power station.
- The water released from this dam flows into the state of Tamil Nadu and is stored in the Mettur dam in the Salem district.
- History:
- The dam was constructed during the rule of the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, and it was named in his honour.
- The construction of the KRS Dam began in 1911 and it was completed in 1931.
- The dam was designed by Sir M. Visvesvaraya, a famous Indian engineer.
- Features:
- It was built using a mixture of surki mortar and limestone.
- It is 2,621 meters (8,600 ft) long and 40 meters (130 ft) high.
- Its reservoir is about 130 Sq. Kms, which was the largest in Asia at the period when it was built.
- Brindavan Gardens, an ornamental garden, is attached to the dam.
