Mir Ahmed Ali, Nawab Ali Nawaz Jung Bahadur ( In Urdu - میر احمد علی نواب علی نواز جنگ بہادر ) (born on 11 July 1877) was chief engineer during the rule of Nizam of Hyderabad. He was responsible for major irrigation works, buildings and bridges in Hyderabad State such as Osman Sagar, Nizam Sagar Himayat Sagar and Ali Sagar reservoir of Nizamabad district, also named after him. He served as a Chairman of National Planning Committee on River training and Irrigation.[1] Since 2014, Government of Telangana announced that his birthday 11 July will be observed as Telangana Engineer's day.[2]
Personal Life and Career
Present address of Nawab ali Nawaz jung bahadur is 20-5-603/2 shaker gunj, shahali banda, Hyderabad His father, Mir waiz Ali, was Assistant Secretary of Daftar-e-Mulki. He studied at St. George's Grammar School, Madrasa-i-Aliya and then joined Nizam College in Hyderabad. In 1896 he was sent to England on State scholarship to the famous engineering college of Cooper's Hill College where he had an exceptionally brilliant career, topping the list of successful candidates and gained several scholarships in various branches of engineering.[3]
During his tenure as Chief Engineer, large irrigation works were conceived, launched and executed. Nawab Saheb was responsible for construction of several buildings and bridges including major bridges over the Godavari and the Manjira River. Extension of telephone service to the districts was due to his initiative. He was responsible for large irrigation projects viz., Wyra, Paler, the Fateh Nahar, and bridges.[4] One of his prize design projects was the Nizamsagar dam.