Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday praised the effort of Zonal Railway Training Institute, Secunderabad for restoration of a 200-year-old heritage step-well on its premises.
“This is a laudatory effort,” replied the Prime Minister in a reply to a tweet by the Ministry of Railways about the restoration of the heritage well.
Zonal Railway Training Institute (ZRTI) has also built rainwater harvesting pits around the well to facilitate water conservation.
South Central Railway (SCR) has rejuvenated the well at ZRTI, Moula-Ali, Secunderabad, in tune with the emphasis laid by the Ministry of Railways towards conservation of water and revival of water bodies.
The project was undertaken at a cost of approximately Rs 6 lakh and is expected to generate substantial savings of around Rs 5 lakh per month.
According to SCR officials, the well has been catering to the water requirements of the ZRTI for over five decades.
The heritage well which has a depth of about 50 feet is yielding one lakh liters of water per day catering to the water supply needs of the ZRTI, Supervisors Training Centre (STC) and Territorial Camp (TA) office in the area. Rain Water harvesting pits have also been provided in the surrounding areas which will help to reduce rainwater runoff and facilitate water conservation.
In addition, the well has been covered with Nylon mesh which helps to keep the water clean by preventing falling of leaves or other materials into the water. While pumping the water, manual chlorination is also being used to ensure supply of uncontaminated water. Maintenance and cleaning of the heritage well is being undertaken on a regular basis. Beautification of the heritage well has been undertaken with fresh painting and decorative LED Lightings, said the officials.
Arun Kumar Jain, General Manager, South Central Railway appreciated the initiative undertaken by Hyderabad Division and ZRTI for revival of the heritage step-well. He stated that South Central Railway is committed towards environmental conservation and is continuously implementing several green initiatives and eco-friendly plans of action, in this regard.
The well was dug during the rule of Nizams. Sir Mir Turab Ali Khan, Salar Jung-I (1829-1883) who was considered to be one of the greatest Prime Ministers of Hyderabad used the well to irrigate mango gardens. For the purpose of stay of irrigation staff, 10 rooms were constructed by 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.
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