The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has embarked on a mission to revive a long-forgotten piece of the city's heritage, and the initial findings have left residents and officials stunned. The cleanup of the historic Nawab Kua well on Canal Road in Gokulpeth, which began on Sunday, has dredged up shocking items from decades of neglect, including a motorcycle, hundreds of bricks, and iron beams.
A Well Transformed into a Dumping Ground
For nearly twenty years, the Nawab Kua, once a vital water source for the locality, lay dormant under mountains of garbage, ritual waste, and thick sludge. It had become an unofficial dumping site for solid waste, discarded puja materials, and broken idols, with its water surface completely invisible from above. The NMC's operation, which started this week, involves the massive task of removing this accumulated debris. Residents report seeing trucks making multiple trips to haul away the waste extracted from the well's depths.
The Road to Restoration and Future Potential
The initial phase, as explained by a senior official from the NMC's water department, is squarely focused on clearing the solid waste, sludge, and debris. "Later, the water will undergo treatment for improving its quality," the official stated. The potential of this well was highlighted in a TOI report on May 21, which pointed out its capacity to support water supply during Nagpur's harsh summers if properly maintained. However, its final use—whether for drinking or non-potable purposes like gardening—will only be determined after water quality tests are conducted post-cleaning.
Calls for Strict Protection Post-Revival
Environmentalist Rohit Deshpande has emphasized the need for stringent safeguards once the well is restored. He warned that in cities like Chennai and Bengaluru, such reclaimed wells are often exploited by builders for construction projects. "NMC must ensure that Nawab Kua is off-limits to private entities and protected from encroachment or exploitation," Deshpande asserted. The cleanup represents not just an ecological effort but a race to secure a historical asset from future misuse, aiming to return a functional water body to the community of Gokulpeth.
