Here’s why Engineer’s Day 2020 celebrated on September 15

Among some of his contributions include the block system of irrigation in the Deccan canals in 1899, irrigation system with water floodgates at the Khadakvasla reservoir. The irrigation system was later installed at Gwalior’s Tigra Dam and Mysuru’s Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) dam, the latter of which created one of the largest reservoirs in Asia at the time.

IN VIDEO | Engineers’ Day: Sir M Visvesvaraya the builder of dams, bridges and a nation

He took voluntary retirement from state service in 1918, over his disagreement with the proposal to set aside state jobs for the “non-brahmin” community.

Apart from his contributions in the field of engineering, he was also called the “precursor of economic planning in India”, according to the Institution of Engineers India (IEI). His books, “Reconstructing India” and “Planned Economy of India” were published in 1920 and 1934, respectively. He was awarded knight in 1915 while serving as the Diwan of Mysore, and received Bharat Ratna in 1955.

The eminent engineer Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya breathed his last in 1962.