Agrasen ki Baoli (above). There are over 300 baolis in Delhi. (Source: Express photo) Agrasen ki Baoli (above). There are over 300 baolis in Delhi. (Source: Express photo)

While the AAP government has promised to look at German technology to harvest and store rainwater in order to solve Delhi’s water shortage, four Delhi University students are trying to study if the ancient baolis located across the capital can be harvested for the city’s use.

Medieval history professor and baoli expert Nirmal Kumar, who is overseeing the project, said the baolis would have to be recharged and linked to the water table first.

“The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is drawing water from the Matia Mahal baoli using the boring method. But that is not the right way to go about it. Though baolis traditionally were made for storage purposes, their modern-day purpose is different. One way, of course, is to use pipes to draw water from them. The best way is to link the structure to the water table by removing stones underneath the baoli to allow water to seep into the ground.”

The rainwater charge-off pipes — used in households to collect rainwater — can be connected to a baoli and the monument can be used as an existing rainwater harvesting structure, Kumar said.

The students and the professor plan to inspect all baolis and choose one that can be developed as a “model” baoli. Agrasen ki Baoli in Connaught Place and Gandhak ki Baoli in Mehrauli have been shortlisted, but the final choice is yet to be made.

The project is being pursued by four of Kumar’s students from DU’s Cluster Innovation Centre — a meta college concept where students spend the first and sixth semesters studying practical applications of all humanities disciplines. One of the students, Ana Sinha (18), told Newsline that the idea of the project was to “merge” history with the present.

“These are ancient stepwells — many of them as old as 700 years. Academic research says structures such as the Great Bath of Mohenjodaro were forerunners to baolis. The purpose of baolis was to serve a cluster and we are now working on how to connect the baoli with the water network of one cluster. The government is spending crores on rainwater harvesting when we have readymade infrastructure in the form of baolis.”

Another student, Abhinav Gholap, said each baoli served a different purpose. “It is wrong to assume baolis were only water bodies. Baoli is a social concept. Literature on the subject confirms that some of these were used for drinking water; others as community recreational spaces where poetry sessions were held. Some people only visited baolis as they were cooler in summer.”

The students are also studying various other aspects related to recharge of baolis.

“The Bdellovibrio bacteria present in River Ganga purifies her water. We are also considering getting in touch with environmentalists to see if the same can be emulated in River Yamuna to save her water from pollution. The blockage in baolis also needs to be addressed as a lot of these monuments have turned into waste dumps by local residents,” Gholap said.

Incidentally, the project has been undertaken at a time when the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has already been making efforts to recharge baolis and is also reportedly discussing the same with residents’ welfare associations.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Delhi News, download Indian Express App.