KASHTI

KASHTI

The main lung space of the city is Cubbon Park, located just off the city's main thoroughfare, MG Road. The park plays a vital role in the daily lives of residents by providing 300 acres of greenery to escape the noise and bustle of the city.

The park was creatively designed without disturbing the natural rock outcrops and other geographical features of the land. The park also boasts a variety of plants and trees, making it a popular spot for nature lovers and photographers. There are also many historical, architectural and recreational attractions to keep people entertained.

Today, India is going through a water crisis. India receives about 400 million hectares of rain annually, but nearly 70% of the surface water is unfit for human consumption due to pollution. India ranks 120 out of 122 countries in the water quality index. An estimated 200,000 people die each year due to lack of water. Restoring ancient water harvesting and water-conserving techniques is very important and while the deteriorating step wells may seem grim, the growing urgency of water conservation has led to some recent efforts to desilt and reactivate several wells in India in the hope that they can once again serve to collect and store water.

The concept and ideology behind the design of the stepwell KASHTI are very simple.

The main purpose of the design is to provide a peaceful space to sit and explore while saving and conserving the environment. The stepwell will be able to store water which will get collected at the time of rain or through some water source. The design provides resting and relaxing spaces for the people who visit the park. The space provides an environment to meditate and helps maintain mental peace. One will find themselves in a state of calmness where one could connect himself to his inner subconscious. When he will be surrounded by fresh air, he will start feeling light and will attract positive vibes.

The stepwell is named KASHTI. Kashti is a Hindi word for boat. As a boat takes people from one place to another no matter what kind of weather conditions it has to face, in the same way, the stepwell is designed to make a better place for future generations, flora, and fauna by conserving water.

The stepwell design is sustainable as it is built with sustainable materials like stone. The stone has all the attributes of a green product. It requires almost no chemicals to manufacture or maintain, emits no VOCs or hazardous air pollutants and is waterproof and durable. It is also an attractive material that will outlast most structures being built today and can be salvaged from one building and reused or used in another.

The functioning of the stepwell is planned in such a way that as soon as there will be rain , the water will be collected in the well which is situated in the center of the stepwell. The well will consist of two holes where one of the holes will be connected at higher level to a water storage tank constructed at a higher level than the well, while the hole will be connected to the tank at a lower level.

The water from the well be sucked through a pipe with the help of a water pump into the water storage tank. This will help in two ways, first will be cleaning of the well floor will become easy and another purpose is that the water then can be distributed to the water sprinklers present in the park.

The remaining water or the water present in the storage tank can then flow back to the clean well under the influence of gravity via the pipe connected at a lower level of the tank.

The stepwell will work as the main spot to absorb the environment while surrounded by birds, water, and earth. Fresh air and the sweet sound of water will bring peace to the mind.

Stepwell like this in Cubbon park, Bangalore, India will also help bring awareness among the young generation as well that how important is to conserve water and how ancient technologies can help save the country from the water crisis.