PUNE The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) in a joint effort with the Karve Institute of Social Service has successfully rebuilt the defunct Hatti Haud (pond) for rainwater collection as part of a revival mission. The project began in 2019 but faced hurdles due to the Covid-19 pandemic with the original target year of 2021 pushed to this year. According to SPPU officials, the revitalised pond will be ready by the end of May to accumulate rainwater June onwards.
Hatti Haud, located behind the centre for modeling and simulation department of SPPU, was constructed by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule during the British era as part of building a ‘bund’, as per old records. The reservoir was used by British officers for their elephants and horses. However before 2019, the 30 metre long historic pond was filled with construction debris and waste.
“I realised that there is no proper rainwater management system in the city. I conceptualised and designed the project to rejuvenate the pond and sent a proposal to the university,” said Dr (professor) Mahesh Thakur, director of the corporate social responsibility cell at the Karve institute.
“We were reluctant about the proposal. We never believed something like this could happen. Our vice-chancellor’s enthusiasm gave us the push to accept it,” said Dr Prafulla Pawar, registrar, SPPU.
The environment sustainability project of the SPPU is in collaboration with the Karve institute, and was inaugurated by SPPU vice-chancellor Nitin Karmalkar in April 2019.
{{/usCountry}}The environment sustainability project of the SPPU is in collaboration with the Karve institute, and was inaugurated by SPPU vice-chancellor Nitin Karmalkar in April 2019.
{{/usCountry}}The design for the land was finalised after a thorough scientific survey. “All the materials used for construction were environment-friendly. Replacing cement, only stones were used,” said Pawar.
The funding for the entire project was facilitated by Cummins India Foundation through their community care initiative. The department of environmental science and estate department of Pune university assisted the Karve institute with handling of the project.
“Earlier, the pond could hold only two lakh litre of water. Today, our system has increased its capacity to approximately 87 lakh litre of rainwater,” said Thakur. Additionally, to store the spilling of water from the elephant pond, another smaller replica with a capacity of 22 lakh is being constructed.
“The rainwater will be used for water supply in the entire university premises. It will reduce SPPU’s dependency on municipal water supply. The water will also be used for watering the green space in the university,” added Thakur.
The Nakshatra forest, the sound of the birds chirping, the rich flora and fauna and now the restored Hatti Haud have given the university a complete facelift.
Nakshatra forest
The SPPU along with the Karve institute is developing the Nakshatra forest adjacent to the Hatti Haud. The forest is inspired by the sacred grove in Karnataka.
The forest includes 27 plants. Each plant is associated with one nakshatra of Indian astrology. Each zodiac sign as per Indian astrology is associated with a particular plant. There is a belief that the maintenance and nurture of this particular plant helps an individual of the corresponding nakshatra to prosper.
“The forest will help strengthen the bond between humans and nature,” Thakur said.
The half-acre forest is located behind the centre for modeling and simulation department of the SPPU. It will not only add to the biodiversity but will also be a treasure trove of information on Indian astrology and associated plants.