Once a dumpyard, this well in Hyderabad turns into eco-sensitive space

Bumping up the groundwater levels, this well has also played a vital role in evading flooded roads in the area

Hyderabad: What was once a dilapidated irrigation well filled with sewage to its brim, is today capturing 16 million litres of rainwater annually. Bumping up the groundwater levels, this well has also played a vital role in evading flooded roads in the area.

Located at Sheshadri Marg in Kondapur, this crumbling well, which was initially built to support farmlands, was discovered by water conservationist Kalpana Ramesh in 2020.

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“The well was in a very bad state with garbage all over,” she says, recalling her first visit. Doing what she does best, the water warrior took it upon herself to revive the well to its past glory. But it was an uphill task mired in multiple complications. “They initially were planning to lay a road over this well. After multiple talks, we got the permission to restore it and we did the work during the pandemic following all safety protocols,” she says. Kalpana’s organisation The Rainwater Project restored the stepwell and a few silt traps. WaterAid India helped them with bioswale and injection bore.

The GHMC stepped in as well and planted trees under Haritha Haaram and took up fencing of the area. “This well was restored before the 2020 floods and it helped reduce urban flooding in a big way. It has also been improving groundwater level in the Kondapur block where it is usually a challenge due to its rocky strata,” she explains, adding that the site has a system to filter out plastics on the surface to be discarded later.

Apart from safeguarding the well, the team also built a rain garden and an amphitheatre. This ordinary patch of land that added no significance earlier is now transformed into an ecosensitive space that hosts events regularly, adding beauty to the street. Appreciating the thought process of the engineers who strategically built these wells many years ago, Kalpana advocates that it is up to us to revive and maintain them.