Once choked with weeds and waste, Delhi’s 800-year-old Hauz-i-Shamsi is now a thriving reservoir, bird sanctuary, and natural climate buffer.
In 1230 CE, Sultan Iltutmish built Hauz-i-Shamsi in Mehrauli — a sunny water tank to quench thirst, cool summers, and serve the medieval city.
For centuries, it stood next to Jahaz Mahal, witnessing festivals like Phool Walon Ki Sair. Its clear waters mirrored the sky, and life thrived along its banks.
Time took its toll. Modern Delhi grew. Untreated sewage and garbage flowed in. The clean waters turned into a stagnant, smelly drain.
The revival began with a detailed project assessment by SEEDS India in 2021. This wasn’t just about cleaning a water body — it aimed to mitigate climate change while bringing people together.
The ASI, historians, writers, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the Central Water Commission supported the initiative. Close to 20 local residents across two municipal wards joined the ‘Pride of Shamsi’ group to plan and monitor milestones.
Heritage rules forbade machines. Skilled cleaners manually removed waste and invasive plants. Hydro-geophysical surveys mapped the catchment, and water quality tests guided the revival.
Floating bio-islands with aquatic plants purified the water naturally. Six solar-powered aerators circulated oxygen, reviving aquatic life and creating a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Children enacted street plays, and families joined clean-up drives. Within a year, the water cleared, birds returned, and the five-acre reservoir became a blue-green oasis cooling Mehrauli.
Hauz-i-Shamsi shows the power of heritage, community spirit, and environmental stewardship. With Delhi’s water bodies under threat, it’s a blueprint for sustainable urban revival. Which ancient water body in your city deserves a second chance?