A heritage well, said to predate the British in Bengaluru, in the heart of Shivajinagar near Russell Market, neglected for several decades, has now been revived under the Bengaluru Smart City Project. The revived well is all set to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai shortly.
“The well is 37-feet deep and was brimming with water. However, it had fallen into disuse and people had thrown garbage into it for decades now,” S. Vishwanath, a water conservation expert working on reviving traditional wells.
“So, the water quality had deteriorated. We got the traditional well diggers to clear all the solid waste piled up in the well. We did not find any sewage entering the well. We have disinfected the well and now the water is coming back and is fit for use. The well was traditionally used for drinking purposes,” he said.
He said a signage inside the well on the date of the well had been damaged, but it is believed that it predates the British in the city.
Bengaluru once was depended on wells for its drinking water, and lakes to recharge these wells. It is important for us to preserve this heritage, make it functional and communicate the need to use ground water carefully and judiciously, Mr. Vishwanath said.
Mohammed Idrees Choudhury, General Secretary of Russell Market Traders Association, said the traders were happy that the well was being revived and credited the local MLA Rizwan Arshad for the initiative to revive the heritage well. After renovation, the area will have a park, a fountain, public toilets, CCTV cameras and street lights.
