New Delhi, 14 September (IANS). Have you ever wondered how our life would have been if they had not been an engineer? There would be no houses without engineers, no roads, no bridges, no vehicles, mobiles, no internet and electricity. We still have to light a lamp and wood for light, have to walk to travel long distances or resort to bullock carts. If doctors did not have modern machines, many diseases would still have incurable. There would be neither computers, no online classes, nor smartphones to teach children.
In fact, engineers are the people who make our everyday life easier, whether they are mobile apps, metro trains, airports, hospital machines or village canals. Everywhere, some engineer has a brain and hard work. Without an engineer, our life would still be in darkness.
Engineer Day, which is celebrated on 15 September every year, reminds us that engineers not only make machines and buildings, but they make our lives better by connecting the needs of society with technology and innovation. A great engineer like Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya proved that the vision and hard work of a human being can change the future of the entire civilization.
This day of 15 September is celebrated on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, a great engineer and Bharat Ratna. Engineer Day not only honors the contribution of engineers, but also reminds us that engineering is the backbone of modern civilization. Our entire modern life, transport, communication, energy, healthcare and technical facilities, all of all are the product of all engineers.
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya is called the father of modern Mysore. His life is a symbol of how science and vision can change the direction of an entire nation. He built the Krishnaraj Sagar (KRS) dam in Mysore, which was the largest reservoir in Asia at that time. He developed an innovative water floodgate system for flood control at the Khadakwasla reservoir in Pune, which was later planted at Tigra Dam in Gwalior.
In addition, he played an important role in flood safety system in Hyderabad, technology to protect Visakhapatnam Port from maritime erosion and Mokama Bridge in Bihar. He also planned to construct the road between Tirupati and Tirumala.
In 1915, he was awarded the title of ‘Night Commander of the Order of Indian Empire (KCIE)’ for the extraordinary contributions of Krishnaraj Sagar in Mysore and in 1955 he was honored with Bharat Ratna by the Government of India. He was awarded honorary titles by eight Indian universities and in 1923 he presided over the Indian Science Congress. The Institution of Civil Engineers of London also gave him honorary membership. Apart from India, his birth anniversary is also celebrated as Engineer Day in Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
Today engineering is not limited to structures and technical structures. Engineers are determining future directions in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Green Energy and Smart City. They find solutions to society’s problems and make life more secure, convenient and durable. Engineer Day is not just a Memorial Day, but it is an opportunity to inspire the youth. The life of Sir Visvesvaraya tells us that an engineer not only builds buildings or bridges, but creates the foundation of civilization.
Today, when we burn the lights of our house, connect to the Internet, or cross a bridge, we should remember that all this is the gift of an engineer’s imagination, hard work and science. Engineer Day reminds us that an engineer has a hand in every way of progress and modernity.
-IANS
PSK/DSC
