In search of Mumbai's pyaavs and fountains

April 18 would have been just another day for Mumbaikars.

Agni-V was test fired, Kolkata Knight Riders trounced Kings XI Punjab, and for a small section, it was remembered as World Heritage Day Now, we must digress. Summer’s arrived. In the 1800s, Mumbai’s founding fathers had ensured that the commoner, animals and birds were able to take succour from the heat with countless pyaavs (water tanks) and water fountains built along street corners and road junctions.

A crow takes a bath at Flora Fountain. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Flip through lithographs and tomes to spot these elements that were a common feature of town plans. Sad then, that only a handful remain. The DP Kothari Kabutarkhana and Pyaav (opposite GPO), Flora Fountain, Mulji Jetha Fountain (Mint Road) and Wellington Fountain (opposite Regal Cinema) come to mind. Despite being visible to the public eye, these remain under threat of being phased out.u00a0Watery graves. Water over the duck’s back.u00a0

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