153-year-old ‘wonder well’ quenches thirst

A wonder well is attracting loads and loads of public attention here. While the majority of the people in Guntur district are facing a drinking water shortage due to the absence of water supply from Sagar canal and drying up of groundwater in the wells and bores, a 153year-old basement well, named Digudu Baavi, near Tammavaripalem village of Amaravati mandal keeps supplying water regularly and fulfilling the needs of the people.

The 80-feet basement well was constructed in 1863 without using lime or cement as is usually the case. Hearing about the well, people from various places are visiting Bathineni Vari Baavi on Sundays and holidays to view what they see as an engineering feat.

Farmer Bathineni Narasimha Rao said there was a severe shortage of drinking water in 1863, affecting farming operations and the livelihood. His forefather Bathineni Ramaiah dug an 80-feet well and strengthened its walls by placing stones. A lime mix was being used in those days to plaster walls of homes and also in plastering the walls of wells. He however avoided this.

However, as the story goes, water was not found after digging the well. So, a stairway under the well was erected and further down, another small well was dug. The efforts proved fruitful as water started oozing and the locals including farmers collected the water with the help of the stairway. This basement well is continuously supplying water from 1863. Sometimes, water level would reach even the surface of the well, Mr Narasimha Rao said.

He said the family cleansed the ancient well in 1983. Now they are carrying out desilting works to cleanse the basement of the well. The locals of the Tammavaripalem and Malladi, M. Venkateswara Rao and others, said this ancient basement well is helping the public for decades and that they would protect the wonder well for future generations as well.