Intriguing antique irrigation structures
SUBBA RAO G.V.R.
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Why did the British build the Benchmark towers on flood banks?
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PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR
Of many uses: Benchmark Towers
The Krishna travels a distance of 65 kms from Vijayawada to the point of its confluence with the Bay of Bengal at Hamsaladeevi in the Diviseema region, passing through several villages located on either side of the flood bank.
Travelling from Vijayawada to Diviseema on the floodbank, which only seems to be caving in with each passing year because of its lose soil, one gets a feeling of harking back to the past, especially when one encounters tall pillar-like structures at intervals of every five miles.
Curiosity gets the better of us, elders and children alike, making us wonder what they are. Irrigation authorities say that these pillar-like structures are called “Benchmark Towers”, which were constructed by the British using just bricks and mortar in the late 19th century and early 20th century. For example, one can see a structure at Nadikuduru with the year of construction inscribed on it as 1903. Similar towers can be spotted on the other side of the river in Guntur district too.
Purpose
Well, the question that naturally arises is for what purpose did the British construct these towers? Irrigation authorities would like to tell us that the British used to record the flood flow levels using bench-like structures situated inside the towers. One can see a staircase inside the tower, which must have been used to reach on top of the tower to watch the flow of the river as well as the sailing boats.
Irrigation officials also say that the towers were used as signal posts. As there was no electricity in many villages during the British regime, personnel engaged by the irrigation authorities then used to hold “diviteelu” (torches) to guide their officials travelling on the boats from one end to the other. With torches glowing on both sides of the river, it would be easier for a boatman to rove in correct direction, say the officials.
Markers
The towers were also used to record the cross section of the river. The distance between two towers would determine the breadth of the river. Again, one many wonder why they needed fixed structures to determine the breadth of the river. Experts suggest that the fixed structures were necessary to determine the breadth of river at any given point of time, as the course of the river changes depending upon the flood.
During heavy floods, some new islands may have been created and some may have disappeared. Any change in the islands was recorded in the British gazettes. The British irrigation staff used to calculate the extent of the islands disappeared and enter the details in their records. The towers were primary sources to identify any such changes, say our officials.
So, what is the present system of calculation? The Benchmark Tower system has given way to the method of determining the course of the river by using gauging sections, which is done from time to time by the Central Water Commission officials.
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