Showcasing the history of Bengaluru’s water networks and featuring technology from a bygone era, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is building a water museum and heritage park to educate the citizens about the importance of water conservation.
This “one-of -a-kind museum” will be located at the old BWSSB facility on 18th Cross Road, Malleswaram.
Certain parts of the facility, which were built in 1896, will be renovated to retain and preserve history.
According to B.M. Manjunath, Public Relations Officer, BWSSB, the board has called for tenders and will begin construction in three or four months.
Estimated cost
The project will be completed by mid-2020 and will cost an estimated ₹9 crore.
“This project is being carried out to primarily educate the masses and retain our heritage. People can learn about water maintenance and conservation. The history as well as the advancement of BWSSB and water in the city will also be showcased,” he said.
The facility consists of a pump house, a storage tank, and a watchtower which will all be renovated to incorporate the various displays and features of the museum.
The pump house that contains machinery from the early 1900s will be converted into an experience centre showcasing the ‘combined jewel filter’, a water filter built by the company Combined Jewel back in 1896.
The Cauvery and its networks will also be on display. The water network of the city will also be showcased along with displays showing the advancement of equipment and machinery used by the board.
The second structure that will be renovated will be the weed-covered storage tank – converted into a museum–which will display the origin and history of the rivers in the country. It will also feature the connection between life and water. Current development and future initiatives will also be a part of the museum.
The museum will also consist of an old watchtower which will be renovated, and ducational spaces like an amphitheatre and a park. According to the employees at the facility, the old watchtower was used as an office by the British officials.
According to the BWSSB, the museum will be a medium of effective communication to educate the public about minimising water usage, measures to save water, rainwater harvesting methodology, the ecological importance of water, and the challenges in managing water.
Water Conservationist S. Vishwanath said, “It’s very important to retain the memory and history of our city’s water supply. It good that the museum is coming up as it will be a platform to educate the public and by talking about our water systems. It will form a sense of water security. It could be one of the first of its kind, especially for urban water in India.”
First pipeline to city?
In 1896, a water pipeline was constructed to connect Hesaraghatta Lake and the BWSSB facility in Malleswaram.
The water from the lake was treated and stored at the facility, and then supplied to nearby areas. BWSSB claims that this pipeline was the first water pipeline to the city and that the water from the lake was supplied to the areas that constituted the city back then. However, there are conflicting views on this.
According to historian Suresh Moona: “The facility was built in 1896 and we can accurately conclude that it was a pipeline that supplied water to Malleswaram, one of the first extensions of the city. But it might have not been the first water pipeline to the city as there have been old houses that contained a pipe-like structure to transport water from Dharamambudhi tank. So, we can’t be sure that this was the first water pipeline to the city.”
