Chaali khooh
Amrisar, Punjab
Chaali Khooh means 40-wells. It is a historic site in Amritsar. The 40-wells were constructed to supply water to Amritsar during British era. It used to be the one and only source ...
Chaali Khooh means 40-wells. It is a historic site in Amritsar. The 40-wells were constructed to supply water to Amritsar during British era. It used to be the one and only source of water supply in Amritsar and supplied water to the city for 70 years. It has come under Heritage City Development and 18 Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) project and converted into a heritage park. After the introduction of new technology for water uplifting, all the wells have been dismantled and the land has been developed into a park.
This park is of great historical importance, as it is associated with the emergence of the first usage of technology for water supply in the Punjab State. The British engineers had developed a unique system to harness ground water with uninterrupted supply to the city. To operate this system, the engineers used 125-horse power diesel-operated engine that harnessed high pressure water from the ground. After independence, as new means developed to harvest ground water, it lost its importance in 1980.
The Punjab Government has reopened it as a tourist place. Now the newly developed heritage park covers 44 acres of land. There are more than 2300 varieties of plants that include some native plants like Amaltas, Mulberry and Jamun etc. Apart from plants, there are walkways, sideways, jogging tracks, and an open air gymnasium where visitors enjoy their leisure time in evenings. The water pump that used to supply water during twentieth century is well maintained. The park has been developed on the pattern of Rose Garden of Chandigarh.