HYDERABAD: The 'think tank' of Telangana's irrigation system, separate-state activist, prolific writer and advisor to Telangana State government (Irrigation) R Vidyasagar Rao, passed away here on Saturday.
Eighty-year-old Rao has been suffering from terminal cancer and underwent a surgery last year in the USA. As his condition deteriorated, he was admitted into a private hospital a week ago.
He has made immense contribution to the re-engineering and redesigning of Telangana Irrigation. He was the man behind Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's Power Point presentation in the State Legislative Assembly on Telangana irrigation system.
When the separate Telangana State movement picked up in 2011, Rao contributed much to the agitation by giving a direction on the injustice done to Telangana in combined AP in terms of river water. He penned several thought provoking articles based on facts and figures. Later, all these articles were compiled into a book "Neellu-Nijalu".
Vidyasagar was a native of Jajireddygudem in Nalgonda district. He did his Bachelors in Engineering from Osmania University in 1960 and master’s degree in Engineering in Water Resources Development from University of Roorkee in 1979.
He also completed a Diploma in Water Resources Systems Engineering, Colorado State University (USA) in 1983, besides completing Bachelors of Law from Delhi University.
Vidyasagar Rao worked in the Central Water Commission and retired as the chief engineer. He also worked as a consultant to the United Nations Environmental Programme at Nairobi in Kenya and Addis Abada in Ethiopia.
Vidyasagar Rao was also member of the Working Group of Major, Medium Irrigation and Command Area Development Project for 12th Five Year Plan.