Chaubey Mukta Prasad

Chaubey Mukta Prasad (born 1885-1958) was a civil engineer, educationist, social worker and public figure who was the centre stage of public life in Lucknow (capital of Uttar Pradesh in India) during the 1920s to late 1950s.
Early life
Born in 1885 at Kachpura village in Bah Tehsil of Agra, the then United Provinces of the British India, Chaubey Mukta Prasad (CMP to his friends and colleagues) had his early education at the neighbouring Chanderpur village. For further studies he, aged 12, went to Agra at the Upper Primary School and sought admission in Collegiat School connected to the Agra College. He qualified the entrance examination in 1903, which at the time used to be conducted by the University of Calcutta.
CMP then moved to Roorkee for higher studies in its prestigious Thomason Civil Engineering College. After completion of his education he went to serve in the irrigation department in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1906. He was not yet 21. For the next three years he was engaged extensively in survey work, routinely riding horseback for hours to visit different sites assigned to him.
After his return to India in 1909 he served briefly in the irrigation department of the State Government before moving out to the Sanitary Engineering Department. He was entrusted the work of undertaking drainage schemes in Haridwar and later Mussoorie (now part of Uttarakhand State in India). Transferred to Faizabad in 1910, he was asked to introduce a new plan for drainage and sewer system for the city. He overcame the major problems. There were two. First, a stiff resistance of the locals who opposed removal of the encroached lands and the next, an acute shortage of construction material. He managed to complete the project ahead of schedule.
CMP was then transferred to Bahraich in April 1914, to Allahabad in July 1916, and then to Jaunpur and Farrukhabad where he successfully set up new drainage schemes by 1917.
With M/s. Lane Brown and Hewlet
During early part of 1920, CMP was invited by Mr. P.R. Hewlett, the senior partner of M/s. Lane Browne & Hewllet, a major Engineering Company of the North India to join their team. CMP finally joined them in June 1920. The company had been assigned the inspection and supervision of all works being executed by the Lucknow Municipality. For next 25 years CMP was in the forefront of all projects constructed or supervised by the company.
Prince of Wales came to Lucknow during his visit to India in December 1921. The zoo near Banarsi Bagh was inaugurated by him. The road connecting Park Road to Banarasi Bagh had a huge open drain. Sir Harcourt Butler, The Governor was keen that the drain be totally covered. Due to short time available, the Government engineers expressed their inability to take up the project. Finally the Governor invited the owners of the M/s. Lane Brown and asked them to take up the work at any cost. CMP’s views were sought. He advised Mr. Hewlet to accept the challenge. CMP himself supervised the enormous task and completed the assignment in time.
“In UP, specially in Lucknow - his contribution was the maximum. He supervised the construction of several buildings and execution of several drainage projects. Notable amongst the early works were: The Butler Palace, the western intersecting sewer, extension of Balrampur Hospital, maintenance of Hussainabad, Shahnajaf and High Court buildings etc. He was an authority on water-works and sanitary engineering in Northern India.
By the early forties CMP gradually started to withdraw from his professional practice as a consulting engineer. When asked for reasons for his early retirement, he explained that Abinash, his eldest grandson, had joined Thomson College of Engineering. According to CMP, it was now time for the elders to give way to the new generation.
At a time when the Chief Engineers of the then Public Works Department and Irrigation Department expressed their inability to cope with floods, the firm of Messers Lane Brown and Hewlett on the advice of the late Chaubey ji (as CMP was called in respect) took over the task of saving Lucknow from the ravages of floods, at the request of His Excellency the Governor at a conference and it was because of his sense of duty and the round the clock vigil that the city of Lucknow was saved from the ravages of 1923 and 1936 floods in Gomti.’’
“By dint of merit and force of his character he rose to the position of head (Chief Resident Engineer) of the great firm of Engineers - Messrs Lane Brown and Hewlett. His word was law there - a very rare thing in those days for an Indian.” 1A
“The period when M/s. Lane Brown’s fortune was on decline and the British Raj was on its last legs witnessed the change of the Government. He tackled Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-zaman, the architect of Pakistan in India and persuaded him to find funds for Lucknow’s drainage. He was a master negotiator Mr. Hoey, the then Superintending Engineer and head of Local Self Engineering Department of the United Provinces. Mr. Marsh was the Governor’s advisor in charge and Sir Maurice Hallet was the Governor, both being extremely difficult to deal with.”
Public health engineering
“The first phase of reorganization of Kanpur’s water works was completed by CMP in 1928 and was very much appreciated by the then Governor. He also framed water supply and drainage schemes for the town of Ajmer for which he was specially deputed by the Central Government.”
From 1909 until about 1920 he was responsible for planning and executing drainage schemes at Faizabad, Bahraich, Jaunpur, Farrukhabad, Jhansi and Lucknow (various districts of United Provinces) in the Sanitary Engineer’s Department.
Training of engineers
“CMP was very courteous to all his colleagues and those who worked under him. In fact he had a passion for training people as engineers, overseers and mistries (craftsmen), all of whom were not only fond of him but gave him their best co-operation.”
“He was Vice Presidenet of the Hindu Education Society and for 14 years remained its Treasurer. When he took over as Treasurer of the Civil Engineering School (at Alambagh on Kanpur Road in Lucknow), the financial position of the school was most shaky. Its bank balance stood only at Rs. 2000/- as against the established liability of over Rs. 22,000/-. The calmness with which he tackled this difficult situation gradually began to show result. By the time of his death in 1958 he had not only been able to spend several lakhs of rupees in constructing the building to house the present buildings but actually left at the credit of the school a reserve balance of more than in fixed deposit.” The school used to train more than one thousand students each year in the engineering and draughtsmen programme. Due to the big increase in the number of students, the acquired land in Alam Bagh area on Lucknow and Kanpur Road in 1954, got the necessary infrastructure built and got the school shifted there. He arranged a suitable corpus to provide monetary resources permanently. Further, he instituted a medal and running shield named after the engineering company he had worked for. This was awarded to the best sportsman of the year.
“The Society also opened two more Engineering Schools viz. The Engineering Vocational School and the Technical High School in Lucknow. The finances of these three schools run by the society were directly under his supervision.”
Towards the cause of education
CMP believed that any person howsoever highly placed would not prosper without education. He took keen interest in education and was ever willing to help the students and educational institutions. He always encouraged all to study and helped those who lacked necessary funds.
He was always instrumental in starting elementary schools at all places he was posted in his engineering career. He was a mentor to the Chander Pur based school near his village that was set up in 1911 to teach English language. He also took personal interest to get a Junior High School come into operation in his village Katchpura. He contributed necessary funds to provide its library.
The buildings for the Deaf and Dumb School (since renamed as Lucknow School for the Deaf) and the Civil Engineering School (later renamed Lucknow Polytechnic) with several ancillary buildings were constructed under his direct supervision and he was able to save thousands of rupees by his judicious and careful supervision of these works.
Public service
According to Chaudhary Khaliq-uz-Zaman, the tallest amongst Muslim League leaders; “Fate brought us together in 1916 in a public meeting held in Ganeshganj, Grain Market, when two other patriotic sons of India, Raja Gulam Hussain and Willayat Ali Bambooj were present. The chance meeting did not end there but culminated into everlasting ties of friendship and unswerving bonds which neither partition nor unity of India could break…. I do not remember any occasion when in elections whether of Municipality, District Board. Council or Assembly we were opposed to each other - call it coincide or complete agreement in the estimation of men and destiny. In the Municipal election of Pandit Harkaran Nath Misra J for the first time realized the great hold which he had on the electorate. From 1923 down to 1947 many occasions came where we could have been on the opposite side but actually we never were, there was such a mutual understanding and faith in each other judgment.”
“During 1924, he saved the Hindus of Ganeshganj from communal frenzy, then at its peak. This also showed his courage and fearlessness.”
“His doors were open to all, irrespective of caste and creed. People from all walks of life came to seek his advice and help from morning until night until last days of his life.”
“He built a beautiful temple in Ayodhya (within Faizabad district) for the Katesar Raj (then a princely state) which until today reminds people of his devout nature and silent devotion to God.”
Role in Lucknow’s development
“He took great interest in Lucknow’s development and helped in designing the gravel roads.” “He had been responsible for the construction of many engineering works in Lucknow.” “He spent the greater part of his life in Lucknow where he created a special place and position for himself. He was greatly respected in all circles, whether official, public, private or social Lucknow owes much to him for its development.”
He was instrumental in starting schools for elementary and secondary education in Ganesh Ganj, Lok Man Ganj and Pan Dariba localities in Lucknow. CMP was the principal contributor and well wisher of the DAV School, from its inception to its raise as a Degree College. When the institution felt the need for a bigger campus, he helped it purchase land from the Improvement Trust. His contribution to the college was invariably acknowledged in various functions by the founder Rahas Bihari Tiwari.
He was instrumental in constructing Lucknow’s sewer system and water works. “In 1934 when there was an acute scarcity of water in Lucknow and the Municipal Board on the advice of Government decided to meter all public and private water connections, CMP boldly raised his voice in protest against investment of several lakhs of rupees in the purchase of meters of foreign manufacture. His suggestions were ultimately accepted. He introduced the water prevention scheme and it was mainly due to his resourcefulness that the wastage was brought down to about 30% from 67%.”
Housing projects
He designed and build a number of buildings near Charbagh railway station. He purchased plots of land to erect three different structures named Bihari Bhawan, Manik Mandir and Lok Nivas. The latter was an impressive mansion which he chose as his own residence. The other strikingly designed houses built by him included the Vice Chancellor’s lodge for the Lucknow University, Vidhan Sabha Marg based three structures viz Ram Sadan for Badri Nath; Rama Niwas for Rama Kant Upasani; and Nawal Ashram as his own property. He also built Katchpura House for his uncle Gopi Nath; besides dwelling units near Lok Niwas for Ram Kishor Misra, Man Mohan Mukherjee, Banwari Lal of Holipura and Jai Kishan Das of Pinahat. Over hundred houses were designed and built by him on Munne Lal Dharamshala Road around Lok Niwas. He named the locality as Lok Man Ganj, named after his father Lok Man Das. He also owned three houses built by him for Raghu Nath Prasad ji. The building and shops constructed by him in Aminabad market were also superb design feats. He helped a number of his friends in building their houses. This category included Surgeon Sharat Chandra Mishra, Kedar Nath Bhatt, Badri Nath Shashtri, Chaudhary Ram Bharose Lal, Zorawar Sharma, Dr. ML Gupta, Prof. Mahadev Prasad Nigam. The houses designed by him bore a testimony to his engineering skill and were appreciated even by the foreign engineers. CMP got a plant set up in Alam Bagh, Lucknow for the manufacture of quick time used in construction of buildings. The unit was started by him for his younger brother Lakhmi Chand and cousin Jai Kishan Das. The plant had to be wound up later when the use of cement cut down reliance on quick time.He introduced the concept of model houses designed with requisite care for ventilation, open courtyards and optimum space utilisation.Further, he was always keen to cut down costs by discouraging unnecessary frills.
He was also the Founder and Vice President of the House Owner’s Society in Lucknow. His recommendations regarding privileges and safeguards needed by the House Owners were duly accepted by the Government while formulating the Rent Control Act.
Death
He died in Lucknow on 19 March 1958.He was survived by his wife Lalita Devi and three sons namely Nirmal Chandra Chaturvedi, Sarju Prasad Chaubey and Birendra Chaturvedi. The Pioneer, leading news daily of the city in its obituary described him as an eminent engineer, a great philanthropist, a selfless social worker and one who served the cause of education with rare zeal.

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