Mysuru: Calling upon engineers to use technology for the goodness of the society, Water Resources Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy said that engineers should build a sustainable Karnataka through innovation.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 41st National Convention of Civil Engineers organised under the aegis of the Mysore Chapter of The Institution of Engineers (India) at the Institution of Engineers auditorium on JLB Road in the city yesterday.

Observing that engineers  are architects of the country who shape the future, Cheluvarayaswamy said everyone should understand that it is engineers who are behind water supply  and electricity to homes and also mobile phones and a host of other electronic gadgets which have made our lives easier.

“The world is rapidly changing these days with the advent of AI (Artificial Intelligence), Robots, Semiconductors, Green Energy, electric vehicles and a number of such  other technological advancements. Karnataka has been playing a very vital role in this era of advancements. There is a lot of talent right from the grass root level to the State capital which must be tapped effectively. It is the responsibility of everyone to ensure that the dreams, ideas and innovations of the talented do not go waste”, he pointed out.

Noting that development does not necessarily mean large buildings and sky-scrapers,  the Minister said amidst the rapid strides in technology, it is equally important to ensure that water flows into the fields of our farmers, students get quality education, better road connectivity and transport network to villages and other remote areas and skill based training of youths.

Stressing on the need for our technology to become sustainable too other than being just smart, he called upon the youths to be job givers instead of becoming mere job seekers. It is more important to find solutions to problems and issues rather than just speaking about them, he added.

Stating that the farsightedness and vision of our great engineer Sir M. Visvesvaraya is a model for engineers of all times, he said that Sir M.V. is all the more laudable as he designed several structures, dams etc., and executed several projects at a time when there was hardly any  technology or gadgets.

Cheluvarayaswamy felicitated several senior engineers and conferred ‘Young Engineer’ award on engineer Manish Pandey on the occasion. Later he participated in an interaction with engineers on the topic ‘The contribution of Civil Engineers in the building of a sustainable India-2047’.

Civil Engineering Division Board (CVDB) Chairman P. Sooryaprakash, Institution of Engineers Mysore Centre Chairman H.S. Suresh Babu, office-bearers Seetharam, Nagaraj, Nanjaiah, All India Engineers Association former President V.B. Singh and others were present.