‘Ancient channel’ comes to fore behind Lok Bhawan
LUCKNOW: Labourers engaged in the ongoing construction work behind the Lok Bhawan discovered an ancient tunnel-like structure while clearing mud from the site on Wednesday. The one-metre-wide channel became a centre of attraction for people residing in nearby areas as the news of its discovery spread like wild fire.
On being informed, officials from the state archaeology department and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) rushed to the spot. They termed the structure a colonial era nullah or a water outlet passage while a few others said it was a well.
“We got some reports about the discovery of a well. But it was found that it was some water passage or may be a nullah. Similar structures have also been found in the Residency,” said Indu Prakash, superintending archaeologist, ASI (Lucknow).
“It could be a well. It is around a metre wide but its depth could not be ascertained. It is made of lakhauri bricks and is tunnel shaped, similar to a well,” said another officer from State Archaeology Department.
The tunnel-like structure was spotted in the morning when the labourers were trying to clear the mud in a bid to make a suitable base for the construction work.
“The structure was lying buried. But when the labourers cleared the mud, they saw the structure. Being so deep, it was a hazard for labourers and hence it was covered thereafter,” said a labourer at the construction site.
However, covering the ‘tunnel’ didn’t keep curious visitors away. Soon after the news of the discovery of the colonial structure spread, people from neighbouring areas started pouring in. “When we came to know about the tunnel-like structure , we came here to see it,” said Mohammed Shoaib from Hussainabad.
Another spectator called it a ‘mysterious tunnel’ saying, “It will surely lead to river Gomti as it is said that there are many tunnels beneath.”
A similar curiosity had gripped people in Gomti Nagar and neighbouring areas in 2016 after the discovery a colonial era weir in Gomti when the water level receded.
Historians claimed it to be a mini harbour that was meant for boats, which used to be the most preferred local transport in that era. “It’s extreme engineering. The bricks used in making the weir are still intact even after being submerged since ages,” an engineer with the irrigation department had said.