Circle of Wellness

They are being squeezed out in the race for land. But wells could be the solution to Mumbai’s water crisis, say experts. Divya Subramaniam takes a tour of some old water sources around which the city was built

Instead of a swimming pool, condominiums in the city could be better off digging a well. More and more water conservationists now believe that the humble well could be the key to dealing with the huge demand for water in the city.

Wells, tanks and fountains constituted the main water sources of the city before municipal pipes were laid in 1870.

“Every house had a tank or a well,” says Pankaj Joshi, an architect who works with the city NGO PUKAR. “Many settlements grew around tanks, most of which were created by early settlers. Sion Tank as well as Banganga Tank are both extremely old tanks around which native settlements grew. Sion Tank could have been the chief source of water for Sion Fort. In areas like Bhuleshwar, a wadi (a building with many houses and a common courtyard) had a well that until a few decades ago was used for drinking water. These wells were covered with beautiful brass covers to keep out dust and dirt.”
 
Even after municipal pipes were laid, wells and tanks were in use for many years. Slowly, however, the need for land in the city overtook the need for water. The tanks were filled and buildings and maidans came up over them.

This is the reason why one finds many areas in Mumbai with names like Gowalia Tank (near Grant Road) without a trace of water for miles around. The August Kranti Maidan, where the Quit India Movement started, was built over a tank that was used to bathe cows. Another tank that used to exist behind Siddhivinayak Temple at Prabhadevi is now also a maidan.

“When the mills started, every compound had a tank or a well. The water would keep the air moist,” says Prasad Shetty, who is part of the Heritage Conservation Society of MMRDA.

“Otherwise, the cotton became dry and would snap. Besides this, the water was also used by workers for washing and other purposes. With the end of the mill era, the tanks became redundant. As most of the mills were redeveloped, the erstwhile water bodies were built over and made into parking lots. The tanks inside Elphinstone Mills and Kamala Mills are examples of this trend.”

Some tanks, however, managed to survive, like the ones in Madhusoodan Mills and inside India United 1. Wells and the tanks situated next to Parsi agiaries also continue to exist.

Godrej Dotivala, PRO, Bombay Parsi Punchayet says, “It is not required by our religion that there should be a well or a tank next to our place of worship. However, in Mumbai, most of the agiaries do have a water source nearby, probably because that was the sole source of water when they were built. Many of the agiaries are now selling their water to tanker companies and using the income for the upkeep of their buildings.”

The Bihikaji Behram Well opposite Flora Fountain is worshipped by Parsis and has been declared a heritage structure.

Fountains were another source of water in 19th century Mumbai. Many of these were decorative, but there were also a large number of drinking fountains. Many of them are are no longer functional.

The history department of Ruia College, Matunga, conducted a study commissioned by the MMRDA to draw up a list of fountains that should be declared heritage structures. The study was headed by Varsha Shirgaonkar, head of the department. “I find that smaller fountains are not really taken care of,” she says. “Most such fountains and pyaavs (drinking water fountains) were built by philanthropists, often along old tram routes.”

The study has made a list of 50 monuments, all likely heritage structures.
The significance of these water sources, however, goes beyond the symbolic. The presence of additional water sources can considerably ease the pressure on existing infrastructure. “The way out is to revive these water sources and to conserve the ones that already exist,” says Joshi.

“ Well or tanker water can be used for flushing, gardening and other washing purposes. This will save enough fresh treated municipal water for drinking. The existence of tanks also helps in maintaining the overall ecological health of the area.”

Leading the pack in this direction is the Oval Trust, which took the plunge two years ago. The four wells created by the Trust will be used to irrigate the 22-acre Green Oval Ground, drawing rainwater into the underground water table during the monsoons.

These ring wells also installed have the potential to harness 5,000-10,000 litres of water in an hour. “We have tapped into a stream that runs beneath the maidan,” says Shirin Bharucha, Trustee, Oval Trust. Given Oval Maidan’s success story, it may be a good idea for the city’s planners to bring out their divining rods. The answer to the city’s water woes could be just below the surface.