At a time when India used to witness frequent droughts and famines, contributions of Sir M Visvesvaraya in the field of water management and Dr M S Swaminathan in agricultural sciences, proved to be a guiding light for India.
Contribution of Sir M Visvesvaraya.
1. Key role in development of water utilisation techniques, irrigation systems and hydropower harvesting.
2. Instrumental in construction of Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) dam in Mysore.
3. Designed and patented a system of automatic weir water floodgates.
4. Developed a system for flood protection in Hyderabad.
5. Developed a system to protect Visakhapatnam port from sea erosion.
Contribution of Dr M S Swaminathan.
1. Known as 'Norman Borlaug of India', for he is the father of green revolution in India.
2. Worked on plant genetics and agricultural research, produced a cross of wheat crops.
3. Pushed for fortified crops.
4. Developed improved varieties of seeds, better farming methods, soil and water management.
5. Chaired National Commission for farmers laying out recommendations to improve farming and farmers' condition.
The two stalwarts helped India to overcome challenges of water management and achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. They will inspire the generations to come.