I am a retired Civil Engineer. Over my career, I designed and built dams, and then provided consulting/advice to organizations operating dams.
Education:
Carnegie Institute of Technology
Civil Engineering, 1948
M. Sc. (Engineering.) and D. Sc. (Engineering.)
College of Engineering, Trivandrum
Civil Engineering, 1944
B. Sc. (Engineering.)
Work:
Central Water Commission (Govt. of India)
Chairman, 1949 - 1980
Started as an Assistant Engineer (CWC was then the Central Waterways Irrigation and Navigation Commission) and retired as Chairman (and Secretary to Govt. of India). Was deputed to various other organizations over my career with the CWC.
• Executive Engineer, Hirakud Dam, Orissa (5 years)-
• Reader and then Senior Professor, Water Resources Development Training Centre, Roorkee (5 years)-
• Chief Engineer, Member, and then Chairman, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, Simla (4 years)-
• General Manager, Chukha Hydro Electric Project, Bhutan (3 years)
United Nations
Chief Technical Adviser (Project Manager), 1983 - 1987
Early stage work on a Water Resource Development Project in Kenya
Independent Consultant
1980 - 2014
Consultant to World Bank, United Nations, and various Indian Water Resources Development Departments and organizations. Assignments include:-
• National consultant to UNDP, New Delhi (An exhaustive study report on the Water Resources of India and its Development Prospects).-
• Member of the Standing “Panel of Experts” for all reservoir projects of Karnataka Power Corporation.-
• Single-man Adviser to M. P. Electricity Board for their hydel projects.-
• Chairman of the Panel of Advisers on Maheshwar hydel project in Narmada river.-
• Chairman of the “Dams Safety Review Panel” (World Bank sponsored) for the rehabilitation of twenty reservoir projects of Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department.-
• Chairman of the Dam Safety Review Panel of all hydel projects of Karnataka Irrigation and Power Department.-
Having stopped personal visits to project sites, engineers at power-projects in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala State Electricity Boards continue to visit him at his residence for further advice.
For the Government of Kerala and Kerala State Electricity Board, he has provided advice in respect of the Safety of Kallada dam (1991), Kaveri Dispute, Pamba Dam (1997), and Mullaperiyar Dam (1993 and 2014). The most recent high level visits (October-November, 2014) are by the retired Supreme Court Judge (Member of the Empowered Committee of Mullaperiyar dam)and by the Chief Minister of Kerala. The visits were to seek reassurance of the stability of the 110 year old Mullaperiyar dam, which Dr. K. C. Thomas had earlier (December, 1979) declared safe. At that time, in order to address the apprehensions of the people and the Government, he made sure the dam was anchored to the bed rock with ninety pre-stressing cables and further strengthened it by adding 30 ft thickness of cement concrete on its downstream face.
Affiliations
He was a member of the American society of Civil Engineers and The Indian Institute of Engineers.