Location

Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana

Type

Well

Runoff Area

12,125 sq. meters

Green Area

7275 sq. meters

Rooftop Area

300 sq. meters

Annual Rainwater Potential

62.64 lac litres

Result - Savings Annually

60.0 lac litres Water storage in well
2.64 lac litres Water collected from rooftop of masjid

History

According to sources, the area of Gachibowli gets its name from this 200-year-old, lime plastered well. This once life-giving well was used to irrigate up to 10 acres of agricultural land around it, till just 25 years ago.

Problem

The well now lay abandoned and filled with garbage, construction debris and heavily silted. The construction activities around it over the years have resulted in the alterations in the original shape and form of the well.

Solution

Restoration: We restored this 200-year-old well by cleaning the well of the garbage and desilting it up to a depth of 20 feet. We restored the well to its original shape and form. The restoration is done using the same materials as used originally – stones with lime plaster with the help of skilled masons.

 

A 2 feet wall is proposed to be built around the well with a mesh barricade, to deter people from misusing the well again.

Landscaping with seating is proposed around the well, to make it a public space near the mosque. It is proposed to paint the history of the well on the wall, to keep its story alive and relevant.

A recharge pit and silt trap are being constructed near the well to collect and filter runoff water from the road. It will then be channelised to the well to recharge the aquifers.

The archway has been closed off by CRS wall construction after compaction of the back soil. The loose stones from the well shaft have been removed and will be re-laid to its best actual form.

 

Rainwater Harvesting: The well is situated right next to the Jama Masjid – e-Dilawarsha Begum. The rainwater from the rooftop of the mosque is directed into the well through downpipes and coal filter chambers.

The wudu water which was once part of the same pipeline is being divided. A separate pipe is laid for channelising wudu water from the first floor of the mosque into the drains, to avoid mixing wastewater and rainwater.

 

The rainwater down pipes of the Madrasa are laid connecting it to the dead bore near the well, and this recharge the dead bore.