1. General Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton was a British army officer and irrigation engineer who worked in the Madras Presidency.
25 Facts About Arthur Cotton
1. 2.
Arthur Cotton's dream was only partially realised, but he is still honoured in Andhra Pradesh and parts of Tamil Nadu for his efforts.
3.
The Sir Arthur Cotton Museum has been built in his honour in Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh.
4.
The museum holds approximately one hundred images and 15 machine tools that Arthur Cotton used when constructing the barrage in Andhra Pradesh from 1847 to 1852.
5.
Arthur Cotton was the father of the evangelist Elizabeth Hope.
6.
Arthur Cotton was born on 15May 1803 at Combermere, the tenth son of Henry Calvely Cotton, uncle of the noted Field Marshal Lord Combermere, and one of eleven brothers.
7.
Arthur Cotton passed out in December 1819 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Madras Engineer Group.
8.
Arthur Cotton entered the Madras Engineers in 1819 and fought in the First Burmese War.
9.
Arthur Cotton started his career with the Ordnance Survey at Bangor, North Wales, in January 1820, where he was praised for his reports.
10.
Arthur Cotton was later appointed as an assistant engineer to superintending engineer of the Tank Department.
11.
Arthur Cotton conducted a marine survey of the Pamban passage between India and Ceylon.
12.
Arthur Cotton was promoted to the rank of captain in 1828, and was put in charge of investigation for the Cauveri Scheme.
13.
Arthur Cotton started working to remove the soil settling in Kallanai Dam and with the model of the dam he built the Upper Dam in Kaveri in Mukkombu, near Tiruchirapalli.
14.
Arthur Cotton recalled how, from analysing the Kallanai Dam and its foundations, his group learned how to construct foundations in a sandbed.
15.
In 1844, Arthur Cotton recommended the construction of an "anicut" and prepared plans for Visakhapatnam port.
16.
Arthur Cotton succeeded in completing the magnificent project on the Godavari river at Rajahmundry in 1852.
17.
In 1858, Arthur Cotton came up with even more ambitious proposals such as connecting all major rivers of India, and interlinking of canals and rivers.
18.
Arthur Cotton retired from service in 1860 and left India.
19.
Arthur Cotton visited India in 1862 and 1863 and offered advice on some river valley projects.
20.
Arthur Cotton became a much-revered figure in the state of Andhra Pradesh for his contribution in irrigating the area of land known as Konaseema.
21.
In 1878, Arthur Cotton had to appear before a House of Commons Committee to justify his proposal to build an anicut across the Godavari.
22.
Arthur Cotton's letter concluded: "My Lord, one day's flow in the Godavari river during high floods is equal to one whole year's flow in the Thames of London".
23.
Arthur Cotton almost despaired at the British Government's procrastination in taking along this project.
24.
Arthur Cotton is revered in the Godavari District for making it the "rice bowl" of Andhra Pradesh.
25.
Arthur Cotton is known as the "Delta Architect" of the Godavari District because of his pioneering work in irrigation engineering.