MYSORE: Hundred years ago, on May 9, 1911, foundation was laid for Kannambadi Dam, also known as Krishna Raja Sagara dam and reservoir, in the then Princely State of Mysore.
Built 78 years ago, the reservoir project was the brainchild of Mysore ruler Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar and his diwan Sir M Visveswaraiah. It now stands as an example of Indian engineering skills and irrigation system that opened doors of development in the region.
The dam built on Cauvery river is now the lifeline of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The project was realised because of the engineering expertise of Vivesvaraiah, who was then the chief engineer of the Princely State of Mysore and the commitment and vision of its ruler Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.
The idea
Messrs and John Taylor and Sons of Kolar Gold Fields had demanded power for the gold mines from Sivasamudram hydroelectric power project. The project was built in 1902 to utilise the natural flow of the river and generated 13,000 Horsepower (hp). Of this, 11,000 hp was supplied to Kolar Gold Fields to carry out mining at Marikuppam, Chamion Reef, Oorgum and Coromandel.
The Mysore Royal family and its administration made use of the situation. With water scarcity at the Sivasamudram Falls during summer, they convinced the then Viceroy, The Lord Hardinge of Penshurst, to permit the construction of a reservoir at Kannambadi Village.
The reservoir that cost `256 lakh at a time when the state's budget was `253 lakh would not have taken shape, if it was not for the two men.
Visveswaraiah, a Mysorean by birth, visited the large irrigation dams like the Assuan Dam in Eygpt before planning and designing the KRS dam.
He made a proposal to build a reservoir at Kannambadi, about 20 kms from Srirangapatna, but the king was against the project in 1909 as utilisation of water for irrigation purpose was not included in the project.
Fresh surveys were taken up for constructing a large reservoir with a view to utilise the storage for both power generation and irrigation in Cauvery basin.
Visveswaraiah did not take much time to prepare suitable designs that suited the requirement of generating 80,000 hp electricity and irrigating 1.5 lakh acres of land.
The reservoir was designed with a storage capacity of 48,000 million cubic feet in a 124ft high dam.
The reservoir is 8,600 feet long and 130 feet high above the riverbed and 140 feet above the lowest foundation. It had a width of 111 feet. The design was submitted to the Maharaja.
Fight for Sanction
The Maharaja who had assured of taking up major assignments in technical education and industries gave no sanction to the project of `253 lakh as such an amount could not be spent on one single project.
Visveswaraiah then wanted to retire from the state services when he could not influence the king.
When he told the Maharaja about his disappointed with the facilities given to carry out new works and expressed his wish to leave the services, the king's answer was: "Don't be hasty, I will do what you want."
He sanctioned the proposals and submitted the designs to the government without addition, omission or alterations.
When Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was unable to get the funding from the British government, he spoke to his mother Kempananjammani (Vanivilas Sanidhana) and pledged 400 kgs of gold and diamond for the construction of the dam.
Hurdles on Way
The then Madras government had prepared a project of its own for a reservoir on the same river at Mettur but the project was not workable because there was not enough water to store.
Meanwhile, the Mysore rulers appealed to the Government of India and insisted on their rightful share of water. They also appealed to permit Mysore to proceed with the construction of the dam.
The permission was given for 80 ft height in the first phase. But, the dam with the bottom width of 111 ft
was originally designed to 124 ft.
Later, it was completed according to the original design with the support of Viceroy Lord Hardinge and the British Resident in Mysore Sir Hugh Daly.
Sir Viveswaraiah, addressing the representative assembly on Oct 7, 1916, had said: "There appears to be considerable misconception, particularly among the inhabitants of the Cauvery belt in the Tanjore and Trichinapally districts, regrading the effect of the award".
He pointed out that the total area irrigated in the Cauvery valley within Mysore territory was 1,15,000 acres and 12,25,000 acres in Madras presidency, which mea nt only eight per cent of the irrigated area was in Mysore.
Bapu's Pat
Mahatma Gandhi, impressed by the construction of the mega dam and the setting up of Steel and Iron Industry in Badravathi, termed them as monuments exhibiting indigenous skills.
These projects proved that Indians could take up mega projects.
Writer Nanjaraj Urs said Nalawadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the face of modern Mysore, had rejected the project for not creating provisions for irrigation activities. He said both he and his mother exhibited their commitment by pledging diamonds and gold to complete the project.