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The '''Public Works Department''' was a government department that was responsible for buildings, roads, irrigation and railways.
Public Works in India, such as the construction of roads, water tank, etc. was originally conducted by the military. This started with the Pioneers and then by the Public Works Department of the [[Town Major's List]] ([[Bengal]] & [[Bombay]]) or the [[Effective Supernumeraries]] ([[Madras]]). Much of the responsibility for public works was then passed over to a special section of the [[Indian Civil Service]] in the mid-19th century. Later, the military once more took responsibility for much of the public works.
Drawing attention of the Government to the unsatisfactory management and state of affairs in public works, the Court of Directors of the East India Company, in early 1850, instituted a Commission in each Presidency for investigation. The members of the Commission were unanimous on the inability of the Military Board in the management of public works. Lord Dalhousie founded the Public Works Department (PWD) through which roads, railways, bridges, irrigation and other public utility works were undertaken <ref name=pwd>[http://www.pwdwb.in/home/page/history "Public Works Department of West Bengal History"]; Retrieved on 22 Jun2016</ref>.
*[https://books.google.com.au/books?id=buINAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA1 ''Indian Civil Engineering College, Coopers Hill Calendar 1873-74''] Prospectus for 1873 with details of the course, Indian Public Works Department etc. Google Books
*[http://www.archive.org/stream/waysandworksini02macggoog#page/n6/mode/2up ''Ways and works in India being an account of the public works in that country from the earliest times up to the present day''] by G. W. Macgeorge 1894 Archive.org
*''The Engineering Works Of The Godavari Delta: A Descriptive and Historical Account'' by George Turner Walch, Chief Engineer for Irrigation, Madras (Retired). 1896. Compiled for the Madras Government. [https://archive.org/details/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheGodavari Volume I], with [https://archive.org/stream/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheGodavari/The_engineering_works_of_the_Godavari#page/n34/mode/1up Map of the Godarari Delta: Left side] and [https://archive.org/stream/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheGodavari/The_engineering_works_of_the_Godavari#page/n35/mode/1up Map: Right side], [https://archive.org/details/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheGodavari1 Volume II] Archive.org
*''The Engineering Works Of The Kistna Delta: A Descriptive and Historical Account'' by George Turner Walch, Chief Engineer for Irrigation, Madras (Retired). 1899. Compiled for the Madras Government. [https://archive.org/details/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheKistnaDelt Volume I] with [https://archive.org/stream/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheKistnaDelt/The_engineering_works_of_the_Kistna_delt#page/n19/mode/2up Map of the Kistna River Basin], now known as the Krishna River. [https://archive.org/details/TheEngineeringWorksOfTheKistnaDelt1 Volume II] Archive.org
*[http://www.archive.org/stream/electricityinind00bomb#page/n7/mode/2up ''Electricity in India , being a history of the Tata Hydro- Electric Project with notes on the Mill Industry in Bombay''], edited by SM Rutnagur 1912 Archive.org. Contains a [http://www.archive.org/stream/electricityinind00bomb#page/76/mode/2up List of Engineers]
*[http://dli.serc.iisc.ernet.in/handle/2015/3385 ''Indian Engineering''] by William Lumisden Strange 1923. Full title: ''Indian engineering, relating to irrigation, water supply of towns, roads and buildings''. Pdf download, Digital Library of India.
