My Internship Journey in Civil Engineering: A Memorable Site Visit

My Internship Journey in Civil Engineering: A Memorable Site Visit

During my final year of pursuing a three-year diploma in Civil Engineering from Government Polytechnic College, we had a mandatory six-month internship. It was an important part of our program, providing us hands-on experience in real-world projects. I was fortunate to lead a team of 11 members, and we were placed in the Public Health Department under the guidance of an executive engineer.

Our mentor, a junior assistant assigned to us, explained the tasks related to two major government schemes running simultaneously during that period: Mission Bhagiratha and the AMRUT Project.

• Mission Bhagiratha is a Telangana State Government initiative aimed at supplying safe drinking water to every household across the state.
• AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) is a Central Government program focused on improving urban living standards by enhancing water supply, sewerage networks, open spaces, pollution reduction, urban transport, and stormwater drainage.

A private company had secured the tender for executing these projects, and their site engineer assisted us throughout the construction process. Our first major site visit was in Waddepally, Warangal, where we inspected the construction of an overhead water storage tank, a key component of the local water supply system.

For context, an Overhead Water Storage Tank is a structure elevated above the ground to store and distribute water. Waddepally Lake, located in Hanamakonda, serves as a reservoir that supplies drinking water to Kazipet and Hanamakonda areas. During our visit, the project was nearing completion, and the dome of the tank was undergoing curing.

Visiting the overhead tank was an adventure on its own! Climbing to the top of the dome was both thrilling and terrifying, but it gave us a unique perspective on the scale of the work being done. We learned that a raft foundation was used for this particular tank, which is a foundation type commonly chosen for structures built on weak soil or where the building is heavy and needs to bear a significant load.

Even though the major construction work was already done when we arrived, we were fortunate to receive a thorough explanation from the site engineer. He took the time to walk us through each phase of the project, from the initial planning to the final stages of construction. We spent nearly three hours at the site, soaking up as much information as possible and taking notes on every detail.

This visit to the overhead tank at Waddepally was an unforgettable experience, not only because it was our first major site visit, but also because it gave me a deeper understanding of civil engineering in action. I’m grateful for the patience and expertise of the site engineer, whose guidance helped us appreciate the complexity and importance of such projects.

pooja mattapalli