Chaturvedi, M C
Photograph[edit]
Dates[edit]
Bachelor of Engineering (1946): Thomson College of Civil Engineering, Roorkee (Now IIT Roorkee)
Master of Science (1960): University of Iowa
Ph.D. (1962): University of Iowa
Biography[edit]
Dr. Chaturvedi was born in 1925 and grew up in a small town, Etah, in the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) in India, where his father was posted as a Civil Surgeon with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, under the British regime. Upon completing his Bachelor’s from Thomson College of Civil Engineering, Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee) in 1946, he was appointed as Apprentice Engineer in His Majesty’s Government in the Sarda Powerhouse Division. It had been established for undertaking the construction of the Sarda Powerhouse, a run-of-canal powerhouse. He was then appointed as Assistant Engineer in the department and was posted in the Design Division of Nayar Dam. He played a significant role in the design of major water resources projects such as the Khatima Powerhouse. He later worked on the design of the Rihand Dam, located on a tributary of the river Son in the Vindhyas.
Upon completion of the Rihand assignment, in 1959, under Fulbright scholarships, both he and his wife, Dr. Vipula, went to the USA on a boat and proceeded to the University of Iowa, one of the world’s leading universities in the studies of water. He received his MS in 1960 and his Ph.D. in 1962 in Mechanics and Hydraulics from the University of Iowa. He hoped to contribute to India’s transformation upon his return. Upon his return in 1962, he was offered the assignment as Professor and Founder Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Kanpur; he became the oldest and most senior faculty member at 37 years, as he had gone to the USA after having worked in India for about 10 years in the profession. His wife, Dr. Vipula, joined the Humanities Department. To be engaged in establishing a new IIT in a leading capacity was an exciting experience. But it was cut short as the Government of Uttar Pradesh, to which Dr. Chaturvedi belonged, recalled, and appointed him as the Director, Designs, Ramganga Dam, the first major water resources project on the river Ganga system in the Himalayas. Here, Dr. Chaturvedi had the privilege of working with some of the leading Indian engineers, such as Dr. A.N. Khosla and Dr. A.C. Mitra, whom he considered his gurus.
Upon completion of the design of the Ramganga Project in 1967, Dr. Chaturvedi was invited to join IIT Delhi as the Head of the Department of Applied Mechanics. Those days, the increasing advances in systems analysis were almost transforming engineering. This resulted in a valuable opportunity for Dr. Chaturvedi to work closely with Dr. K.L. Rao, then Minister of Irrigation in the Government of India. In a scientific conference on India’s water resources, Dr. Chaturvedi concluded that the monsoon waters can be stored very effectively through schemes called the Chaturvedi Water Machine. He demonstrated that the monsoon waters could be stored by charging the groundwater. Thereby the water availability could be doubled, and even more importantly, water would be in the hands of the farmers, making them independent of the bureaucrats and gods! He discussed the idea with Dr. K.L. Rao, who appreciated it and issued orders for field testing. The proposal was vindicated. However, no further action could be taken because he left shortly afterward, and since then, a new idea, the interlinking of India’s rivers has become an obsession that continues even to this day. Dr. K.L. Rao had proposed transferring Ganga waters to south India, joining it with river Cauvery ultimately. Dr. Chaturvedi ideated a novel way of developing hydro-energy, storing it, and transferring the waters to the rivers of the south. This was called the Chaturvedi Water Power Machine. Dr. Chaturvedi also served as a member of the Board of Consultants for several major projects, including the Tehri Dam, one of the world's highest dams. He contributed to the systems planning of several river basins such as the Indus Basin and the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghana basin. On retirement from IIT Delhi in 1985, he joined the Planning Commission, Government of India until leaving for the U.S. to join the University of Texas-Austin in 1989.
He is a highly respected figure in the field of water resources engineering, having led collaborations in several countries including the United States, Sweden, the former Soviet Union, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Dr. Chaturvedi is a founding member and Fellow of the International Water Resources Association and the Indian Academy of Engineering. He also founded the Departments of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institutes of Technology in Kanpur and Delhi, where he educated many scholars in water resources planning, economic and environmental policy, and systems engineering.
Dr. Chaturvedi has authored four books and worked in sustainability science as an independent scholar. He guided research at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and wrote three books on sustainability science. He continued to work professionally on government commissions and developed a group under the aegis of the Indian National Academy of Engineering to study the scientific development of India's waters. He also developed a group under the Ministry of Environment, Government of India's aegis to study sustainable development in India.
Dr. Chaturvedi and Dr. Vipula established the Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Foundation, to promote and provide avenues for education and research in the field of science, technology, and social sciences to contribute to India’s advancement at the highest levels. The Foundation has set up the “Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Distinguished Fellowship” at IIT Delhi. This Distinguished Fellowship is used to attract outstanding talent in a research area that aligns with the long-term strategic objectives of the Institute and the country. The awardee receives an annual grant of Rs 12 lakhs to support his/her research and the Fellowship is awarded for five years. The Foundation also helped in the establishment of the School of Public Policy at IIT Delhi, the first of its kind in the country. The school is a leading hub of intellectual activity in the country on issues at the intersection of science, technology, and development. One of his popular books titled ‘Development and Sustainability- Third World Challenge’ is invaluable to helping readers holistically grasp the concept of sustainability and understand how it relates to the broader arc of development in the Third World. This book distills a lifetime of thought and learning and a deep belief reflecting the optimism of an engineer that sustainable development is possible through a systematic approach. His other recent books are India’s Waters: Advances in Development and Management, Ganga – Brahmaputra – Meghna Waters: Advances in Development and Management, and India’s Waters: Environment, Economy, and Development. Dr. Chaturvedi, who is now 98, has mentored generations of scholars on water resources planning, systems engineering, and economic and environmental policy in developing countries.
