Old Drainage System

While walking in some parts of the old city one may come across some strange but royal looking poles with an arrow on the top. These poles are actually the vent shafts of an elaborate under-ground drainage system.

As a part of his visionary schemes, Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III commissioned a well-planned Drainage System in 1894. Thus a well planned drainage system was laid with vent shafts at every 500 meters. These shafts provided an exit to the foul gases arising from the sewage and kept the city smell free.

Usually painted in green or rusty red, these hollow shafts were casted out of wrought iron. They had openings at the top for the exit of foul gases. At the top, it had an arrow, which pointed the direction of the drainage pipe. Many of these shafts have ‘Kala Bhavan’, ‘Ahmedabad’ etc written at bottom of it, which may mark that it was built there !

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It is said that, even before 1894 Baroda had an under-ground drainage system, which may have made it the first State in India to have it. Drainage system may or may not have existed before 1894 but what we do know for sure is that, Baroda became an inspiration for other states. After seeing the Drainage System developed in Baroda, The Nizams of Hyderabad also installed Underground Drainage Systems in their State !!!!