Even for the garden city with its many parks, Lalbagh is iconic. Spread over 240 acres with 1,854 species of plants on display, it is a botanical dream.
Started in 1760 by Hyder Ali as a private garden it was spread over just 40 acres when it began. Francis Buchanan, in his famous travelogue in 1800, writes, “The gardens are extensive and divided into square plots divided by walks, the sides of which are ornamented with fine Cypress trees…..want of water is the principal defect of these gardens, for, in this arid country everything during the dry season must be artificially watered. The garden of Tippoo is supplied from three wells, the water of which is raised by the ‘capilly’ or leather bag, fastened to a cord passing over a pulley and wrought by a pair of bullocks which descend on an inclined plane.”
The Lalbagh lake has led to a good water table in the surrounding areas. Open wells find water at 15 to 20 ft. Wikipedia
The pleasant change
So, on a Saturday when one was invited to visit Lalbagh to look at the water situation, one was excited.
The small tank then serving Lalbagh has now expanded to cover 20 acres. The Bangalore Development Authority has invested over Rs. 2.5 crore in expanding and improving the tank.
Storm water feeders to the tank are now regularised and cleaned off cow dung and animal waste which once used to flow in.
A small sewage treatment plant has been set up at one side of the park where domestic sewage from surrounding areas is trapped, treated and stored in a reservoir for watering the park. Up to 1.5 million litres per day can be treated and made available to the park. The cost of the treated water for Lalbagh comes at an economical Rs.15 per kilolitre.
If there is excess, then treated wastewater can be led into the lake for storage to further recharge the groundwater.
Nine borewells have been drilled to supplement the treated wastewater. These have varying depths but the deepest is about 370 ft.
Wikipedia
The three wells
What was however a discovery, were the three wells in the original 40-acre campus. Were these the original wells from 1760? Most probably yes, but more investigations are due.
The wells were unused and some had waste strewn in them. It is, however, definitely possible to clean them up and de-silt them. All the wells had water and the water was at 15 to 20 ft., thanks most probably to the large lake up-stream.
The stone lining was intact except that the parapet needed repairs.
It would be wonderful if the wells could be cleaned up and brought to life. Wells need the least amount of energy to pump water since the head, to which water is to be lifted, is less and therefore has the lowest cost for water. To use well water makes economic and ecological sense.
For heritage sake
As a water heritage even the ‘Kapile’, the ‘Yeta’ and the Persian Wheel can be fitted to the wells to remind us of a glorious water heritage. This will be another attraction of Lalbagh apart from its lovely flowers, plants and trees.
Lalbagh shows how a verdant green park can meet its water needs by investing in smart, sustainable solutions. Preserving and enhancing a lake, using treated wastewater, using groundwater and reviving open wells is a mini integration of water management.
There is of course much more of a need to monitor the quality of the lake water, ensure that the sewage treatment plant works constantly and well, that the hydro-geology and groundwater table is mapped and understood and that shallow aquifer sources are integrated better into the water system.
Display boards
All these water structures could be made more informative and display boards informing local citizens and visitors of how these systems work can be put up.
Only such endeavours can enhance water literacy.
And that is water wisdom.