Sir Ganga Ram – a great engineer and a great philanthropist

Sir Ganga Ram was a great engineer and a great philanthropist.He contributed incalculably to Lahore’s development as a modern city. During his time the Lahore saw a new style of architecture and zenith.
Sir Ganga Ram dedicated a major part of his life to Lahore as an engineer and a warmhearted charity donor. He supervised the construction of Lahore High Court, Cathedral and constructed the Aitcheson College. He also gave Lahore new water works in addition to many other buildings. For twelve years he was the executive engineer of Lahore, a period which has been called as “Ganga Ram period of architecture”.
In Lahore, all of the iconic structures were raised by Sir Ganga Ram. Working with the colonial state, he transformed the landscape of the city to reflect the glory of this new empire.
He designed and built General Post Office, Lahore Museum, Aitchison College, Mayo School of Arts (now NCA), Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Mclagan Girls High School, the chemistry department of the Government College University, the Albert Victor wing of Mayo Hospital, the Hailey College of Commerce, Ravi Road House for the Disabled, the Ganga Ram Trust Building on The Mall and Lady Maynard Industrial School. He was the town planner of Model Town, one of the best locality of Lahore. He built Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Mclagan School and Renala Khurd Power House with his own money as well as the railway track between Pathankot and Amritsar.
Sir Ganga Ram is known as a promising agriculturist in history. He purchased thousands of acres of barren land in Lyallpur (now Faisalabad) on lease and by using engineering skills and modern irrigation methods, turned the waterless lands into fertile fields.
In 1873, after a brief service in Punjab PWD, he devoted himself to practical farming. He obtained 50,000 acres of barren land in Montgomery district on lease from government , and within three years converted that vast desert into smiling fields, irrigated by water lifted by a hydroelectric plant and running through a thousand miles of irrigation channels, all constructed at his own cost. This was the biggest private enterprise of its kind, unknown and unthought-of in the country before.
Ganga Ram earned millions, most of which he gave to charity. In the words of Sir Malcolm Hailey, the governor of Punjab, “He won like a hero and gave like a Saint”.
In both India and Pakistan there exist his memories, his great vision, services and struggles can never be forgotten. He continues to be remembered and appreciated through his countless works in the service of humanity.