Baolis or step wells played an important part in the medieval period (between the 6th century and the 18th century) in many cities of India for ensuring water supply to the population.
Badashapur baoli, in Badshahpur in Gurugram, Haryana is one such baoli, which was was constructed in the year 1905 by Mohanlal Mangla. It is a three storey step well reservoir which was built to conserve water which was used during water crisis. It also served as a source of water for domesticated animals.
Towards the end of the last century the water in the baoli dried out due to the lowering of the water table. Ved Prakash Mangla, grandson of Mohanlal Mangla, was the last custodian of the baoli. He built a boundary wall around the baoli to protect it from tresspassers. Ved Prakash Mangla’s father Laxmi Narayan Mangla had donated a piece of land next to the baoli for the construction of a school in his name.
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has listed the Badashapur baoli as a heritage structure in the year 2000. INTACH had written to the government of Haryana to preserve the monument. However this reservoir area was handed over to the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) for construction of the sector road, by Ved Prakash Mangla. He received a compensation amount from the government in exchange of the baoli.
With the construction of the sector road, the baoli is being used as a dumping ground for construction and demolition waste, as well as other garbage. Vegetation also has grown through the stagnant water covering two floors of the three storey structure. It has also become a breeding ground for insects. This has made it impossible to spot the baoli that existed.
There is little clarity over the restoration and conservation plans of the baoli. Though Haryana Department of Archaeology claimed to restore it to its original glory of the baoli in 2018 but nothing much happened because of the heavy flow of vehicles on the sector road. However, heritage lovers and activists, like students from the Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Ansal University, have been undertaking several initiatives to save the baoli. By conducting awareness programmes, they are trying to help people envision the future of the baoli.