Nagarjuna Sagar: The Epic of a Great Temple of Humanity (An Old and Rare Book)

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This book is an excellent compendium of exhaustive information on a variety of aspects. regarding Nagarjunasagar. It is a valuable source of reference material on the project which has the world's largest and highest masonry dam, which was exclusively designed and built by the engineers of India. The story of Nagarjunasagar is the story of an epic struggle between Man and Nature. The project, built with indigenous methods and labour oriented local expertise has an Immense role in transforming the economic and social structure and the life of the people of Andhra Pradesh in particular and India in general.

The Author presents in this book, the origin, the documented history, the planning, the construction and connected activities of the project. The Project has unique features. Apart from being a gigantic structure, that created the largest man-made lake in India, it is built by massive human effort, with the minimum of sophisticated machinery. This great monument, is the outcome of tireless efforts of many talented engineers, skilled workers and resourceful contractors. The handling and management of construction materials, equipment, specialised construction methods, as well as co-ordination of the various organisations, and the control of the river flows during construction period, have been explained in detail. The studies on foundations, their treatment, drilling and grouting operations have been fully described. accounting procedures adopted for quick and efficient control of transactions and the simplified methods introduced for stores management in the project are narrated. Designs of the structure, specifications and instrumentation and its advantages have been detailed. For the problems encountered in the construction, the solutions implemented are given.

This volume narrates the epic of mass effort, canalised for the progress and prosperity of the humanity. It will be a precious guide to professors, students, serving engineers, admini- strators, contractors, both present as well as future generations and, in fact, to all sections of the general public.

Mr. M. Gopal Rao, F.I.E. had a brilliant academic career. Having passed A.M.I.E. (India) examina- tions in the highest rank, he was directly recruited to the Gazetted cadre in the engineering field having topped in the selec tion by the Hyderabad Public Service Com- mission. Apart from investigations of water supply, drainage and other irrigation works, he had the privilege of constructing the largest masonry structure of the world, the Nagarjunasagar Dam, right from the founda tions to completion. He was Chief Engineer, Andhra Pradesh and also Chief Engineer in Government of India, Ministry of Energy. in the construction of Salal Hydro Electric Project. He served as Consultant to the Government of India, in the Ministry of Andiner Pradesh Seater esentlyuchen Charporn is Chairman, tion Ltd., a State Government Undertaking. As Chairman of the Corporation, apart from construction of canals, buildings, he is associated with the construction of Srisailam Dam, the largest Hydro Power structure now under construction in India.

As an active member of the Institution of Engineers (India) from 1945, he served as Chairman, of Nagarjunasagar Sub-Centre for two years and was a Member of the Council of Institution of Engineers (India) in 1971. He was also the Member of Central Board of Irrigation and Power, the Vice-President of Indian Society of Engineering Geology, during 1972-73, and a Member of the Indian Standards Institution.

As a delegate of India, selected by the Indian National Committee, he attended the Inter- national Congress on Large Dams held in Montreal In 1970. He was deputed to Afghanistan in April 1973, for investigations and advice on water resources and finalisation of the schemes for dams across various rivers in that country. He was selected by the United Nations Team for assignment of building dams in British Guyana in 1972. He visited countries around the world-Europe, U.S.A. & Japan and travelled in the Middle East coun- tries in 1978 for exploration of constructional activities.

This book is an excellent compendium of reference material on the various technical and administrative aspects of the Nagarjuna- sagar Project. This irrigation-cum-power project is the world's largest masonry structure conceived, designed, and built entirely with Indian technical and organisational expertise. The project was initiated when I was Deputy Chief Minister in-charge of the Public Works Department of the then Andhra State. The foundation stone of the project was laid by the late Prime Minister Shri Jawaharlal Nehru in 1955.

I am very glad to know that my friend Mr. M. Gopal Rao, an eminent engineer of our country, has brought out a unique and compre- hensive book on Nagarjunasagar Project. The value of the publication can be gauged by the fact that right from the laying of an approach road and designing, to the completion of the gigantic dam, Mr. Gopal Rao, was fully associated with this project. This is a tribute to his hard and brilliant work, his qualities of leadership and his spirit of friendliness with various wings of the department and persons of different kinds.

The Author has the proud privilege to present this book, Nagar- junasagar-the epic of a Great Temple of Humanity. Nagarjunasagar is unique, it is unlike many other dams in post-independent India and, in fact, in the world. It is unique, not only as a major hydraulic structure harnessing the Krishna-a mighty river in India, not only as the world's largest masonry structure, not only as creating the largest man-made lake in India, but also as it represents the unique example of massive participation of human effort of people of different parts of India in its construction, thus making it verily a national and precious monument unprecedented both before and after.

**Contents and Sample Pages**