NMC begins cleaning 300-year-old Bhonsle-era well in Sonegaon Amrai

Nagpur: Two weeks after an inspection by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani-Wakahre, the civic body has launched a large-scale clean-up operation of the nearly 300-year-old Bhonsle-era well located in Sonegaon's historic Amrai forest area.The neglected structure, believed to have been constructed during the reign of Raghuji Raje Bhonsle-I, had over the years turned into a dumping ground filled with filth, algae, household waste and liquor bottles.The restoration exercise saw the deployment of cranes, JCB machines, and water-pumping equipment to clear years of accumulated debris. During the clean-up operation, workers retrieved hundreds of discarded liquor and beer bottles, plastic waste, wrappers and other garbage that had either floated on the surface or settled deep inside the historic structure.The centuries-old well, a relic of the Bhonsle era and one of the lesser-known historical sites of Nagpur, had remained in a state of neglect for decades despite being located in the picturesque Sonegaon Amrai area. Constructed during the Bhonsle reign and later preserved during British rule, the well once served as a key water source. Assistant commissioner of Laxminagar zone Dhananjay Jadhav said that after the inspection, authorities checked whether the well featured on Nagpur's heritage monument list due to its Bhonsle-era origins. Although it was not listed as a protected heritage structure, residents demanded its restoration, prompting the civic body to take up the work. "We coordinated with the fire department, arranged vehicles and machinery to pump out the dirty water and remove debris from the well," Jadhav said.The clean-up effort gained momentum after repeated appeals by the ‘Save Sonegaon Amrai', a citizen group formed by residents and regular visitors of the area. Morning walkers, cyclists and fitness enthusiasts who frequent the forest patch had expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the well and surrounding premises. Following several representations by locals and reports by TOI, Dani-Wakhare, along with local corporators Amol Shyamkule and Ishwar Dhengale, visited the site, accompanied by officials from the fire department and Laxminagar zone.