SCR revives heritage well at zonal Railway Training Institute

Hyderabad: The South Central Railway has rejuvenated the 200-year-old heritage well at the Zonal Railway Training Institute (ZRTI), Moula Ali, in tune with the emphasis laid by the Ministry of Railways to conserve water and revive water bodies.

According to SCR officials, the well has been catering to the requirements of the institute for over five decades. The project was undertaken with a cost of approximately Rs 6 lakh and is expected to generate substantial savings of around Rs 5 lakh/ month.

The heritage well, which is 50 ft deep is yielding one lakh liters of water/day which is catering to the water supply needs of the Supervisors Training Centre (STC) and Territorial Camp (TA) office in the area.

Rainwater harvesting pits have also been provided in the surrounding areas which will help reduce rainwater runoff and facilitate water conservation.

In addition, the well has been covered with nylon mesh which helps keep water clean by preventing falling of leaves or other material in water. While pumping water, manual chlorination is also being used to ensure supply of uncontaminated water. Maintenance and cleaning of the well is being undertaken on a regular basis. Beautification of the well has been undertaken with fresh painting and decorative LED lightings, said a senior SCR officer.

Arun Kumar Jain, the SCR General Manager, stated that the railway is committed to environmental conservation and is continuously implementing several green initiatives and eco-friendly plans of action.

In this regard the revived well will adequately serve all domestic water requirements of ZRTI and also the surrounding offices (STC and TA Camp).

Historic significance

The well is said to be a 200 years old provided with steps. It has historic significance during the pre-independence era of the Nizam period. Sir Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung-I (1829-1883), who was considered one of the greatest Prime Ministers of Hyderabad, used the well for irrigating mango gardens.

For the stay of irrigation staff, 10 rooms were constructed by the Nizams, parallel to the wall of the north side of the well. In the post- independence period, the well was inherited by SCR in its formation year 1966.