Former Indian president visits McAlpine Locks and Dam

Published April 15, 2010

The Louisville District sponsored a visit for former president of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to McAlpine Locks and Dam on April 12. President Kalam was in Kentucky to speak at the University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics. A crowd of 600 attended his lecture.

Kalam’s interest in the Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure and navigation stemmed not only from his background as a scientist and engineer, but his desire to propel his nation forward to modernize and technologically advance. His economic transformation goals are outlined in his book, India 2020.

A party of Corps staff including Dave Liagre, lakes manager; Rick Morgan, operations chief; Bill Byron, water management; Gene Dowell, locks and dams manager; Susan Toutant, executive officer, and Bob Azinger, McAlpine lockmaster, greeted the president and answered questions on the Ohio River Basin navigation and flood protection systems.

Louisville District Commander Col. Keith Landry told the president how the Corps’ chartered missions began, the relevancy of the Flood Control Act of the 1940s and how the Inland Waterways Trust Fund subsidizes 50 percent of lock constructions.

Landry outlined the features of the new McAlpine Lock, and Azinger commented on the lock’s massive gate leaves. Liagre answered a question on reservoirs and their workings.  The party marveled at the Louisville Repair Station on Shippingport Island in the distance.

President Kalam and his coordinator Dr. M.S. Vigi, of Lexington, Ky., were accompanied by approximately eight Indian staff and advisors. Kalam, who is a fit and energetic 80, related to the flood photos shown him of Louisville from 1937. “In India the Ganges River can quickly rise and overtop its banks,” said Landry. “The president understands what we experience here, such as last year when we had the flooding in August of 2009.”