Shri S. P. Kakran, Member (D&R), CWC & Ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Government of India, was born on 30th October, 1952. He graduated in Civil Engineering from University of Roorkee in 1974 in First Division with Honours and joined the School of Hydrology as Research Fellow in October 1974. Shri Kakran joined Central Water Commission as Assistant Director in November 1975 and worked on mathematical modelling for flood forecasting in Brahmaputra Basin in association of Civil Engineering Department of IIT, Delhi for a year. On transfer to Lower Lagyap Hydel Project (Sikkim), he started his career as Assistant Executive Engineer in 1976 and entrusted with the construction of main power house, penstock, switch yard, river training works, etc., besides maintenance of Project colony at Ranipul in Sikkim. On promotion to Executive Engineer in 1980, he continued to work in Lower Lagyap Hydel Project till the commissioning of the Project. In 1981, Shri Kakran was transferred to Pancheshwar Investigation Division, CWC, Pithoragarh to start the India-Nepal bilateral project, envisaged on River Mahakali and entrusted with the work of hydrological observations, submergence area and property surveys, communication survey, etc. He also worked as Executive Engineer, Sone Investigation Division, CWC, Riwa (MP) for a brief period. Thereafter, he was selected in July, 1985 as Deputy Director (Civil) and posted at Firoze Gandhi Unchahar Thermal Power Station by Central Electricity Authority, where he worked successfully as Liaison Officer on behalf of Central Electricity Authority until Unchahar (Stage-I) Thermal Power Station was commissioned in 1990. He then posted in Thermal Civil Designs Directorate, CEA at New Delhi and involved with designs and planning of coal handling plants, ash handling system, cooling water system, etc., of various Thermal Power Stations in the country.
On promotion in January’ 1995, Shri Kakran was posted as Director, Nepal & Bhutan Coordination Directorate in CWC and brought in the concept of joint investigations of bilateral projects with Officers of Government of Nepal, namely, Panchewshwar Multipurpose Project, Sapta Kosi Dam Multipurpose Project, Naumure Storage-cum-Hydro-electric Project, etc. On promotion in the grade of Chief Engineer in February, 2002, he was posted as Chief Engineer, Narmada Basin Organisation (a regional office of CWC) at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. He remained associated with the planning, appraisal and monitoring of water resources projects under AIBP in Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. During his tenure, he prepared a Hand book on Water Resources Development in Madhya Pradesh – a land mark publication – in 2004. He also held the additional charge of Rajghat Dam Project under Betwa River Board during this period. In April’ 2006, Shri Kakran was selected as Commissioner (Ganga) in Ministry of Water Resources, New Delhi, where he handled many contentious issues related to Nepal and Bangladesh. During his tenure of Commissioner (Ganga) in Ministry of Water Resources, Flood Management Programme was successfully launched at national level. He is now posted as Member (Designs & Research), CWC on his promotion from 31st January, 2011.
As Member (D&R), CWC, Shri Kakran represents the Government of India in various national and international committees. He is the Chairman of the Indian National Committee on Hydrology (INCH), National Committee on Seismic Design Parameters of River Valley Projects (NCSDP), the Indian National Committee on Geotechnical Engineering and Construction Materials (INCGECM), etc.
Shri Kakran has extensively travelled to Nepal and Bangladesh in the capacity of Commissioner (Ganga) as Team Leader of Indian delegation in various technical meetings/discussions. Shri Kakran has also visited Mauritius in June’ 2000 as Water Resources Expert under ITEC Programme of Ministry of External Affairs.