At first glance, Fort’s Madhavdas Laxmidas Kothari Pyaav may appear little more than a dormant vestige of a bygone era. But on a scorching afternoon on March 12, weary wanderers stopped by the fountain to cool down with a sip and sometimes a splash of water.
For a city prone to hot and humid summers, with six heatwave warnings already sounded this month, public drinking water kiosks and fountains like this century-old structure offer pedestrians from students to labourers a quick respite from the heat. Yet unlike many global cities where public drinking water stations are common in open spaces, such facilities remain limited in Mumbai.
Data obtained from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shows that in a city with a population of around 1.3 crore, the civic body supplies metered water connections to 91 public water stations or pyaavs, of which only 64 are currently operational.
Even as the development of new public water kiosks ranks low on the civic agenda, Mumbai has a rich legacy of such fountains dating back to the 1860s. In recent years, the BMC has attempted to revive this culture by restoring several British-era pyaavs across the city.
How pyaavs came to dot erstwhile Bombay
Mumbai’s first pyaav dates back to 1866, when philanthropist Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Readymoney transported a stone and iron drinking fountain from England aboard a ship named Bayard. Brought in parts, the structure was installed within the premises of St Thomas Cathedral.
Similar to modern-day water kiosks, pyaavs were ornate fountains fitted with spouts that dispensed drinking water throughout the day.
In what a municipal report of 1870 described as the “greatest service to the poor”, Readymoney went on to order 32 more decorative fountains from England at a cost of Rs 20,000. In 1871, he ordered eight additional fountains at the behest of the then municipal commissioner Arthur Crawford.
Similar to modern-day water kiosks, pyaavs were ornate fountains fitted with spouts that dispensed drinking water throughout the day. (Express Photo/Amit Chakravarty)
According to the book Exploring the Water Heritage of Mumbai, authored by historian Dr Varsha Shirgaonkar, these fountains soon came up at nearly 40 locations across the island city, including Bori Bunder and Mazgaon Bunder, Marine Street, near Bellasis Road railway station, Juma Masjid, Custom House, Mandvi Post Office, old Dhobi Talao, Dongri, Mumbadevi Chowk and Colaba.
“We located many erstwhile pyaavs along tram routes as well as in areas such as markets which saw a high flow of people. Later, during our research, we also traced several pyaavs near large settlements such as chawls,” Shirgaonkar said.
Historians trace the source of water supplied to these fountains to reservoirs such as the Malabar Hill and Bhandarwada tanks, from where water would flow to the fountains through gravity.
“With both Indian and Zoroastrian traditions considering water charity an act of virtue, many philanthropists funded the construction of public pyaavs between the 1870s and the 1920s,” Shirgaonkar added. More than 50 such structures were built during that period.
However, as urbanisation accelerated following the formation of Maharashtra in 1960 and piped water connections expanded, the need for public water stations gradually declined.
“As water lines were extended into homes, pyaavs may have been seen as a nuisance because of water wastage, and fewer people felt the need to fetch water from public fountains,” Shirgaonkar said. Many of the structures were eventually left behind as cultural relics.
Water stations in Mumbai today
Currently, the BMC provides metered water connections to 91 public water stations and pyaavs across the city.
Records accessed by The Indian Express show that the highest number is in C ward with 15 such stations, followed by 13 in P North ward and eight in K West ward. The lowest numbers are in B ward, F South ward, H East ward, M West ward and S ward, where there is only one such facility each.
However, only 64 of the 91 stations are currently operational.
A senior BMC official said many water stations are located within privately managed spaces such as malls or housing societies.
“Water stations in public areas are often installed by NGOs or private individuals, after which the BMC provides the water connection. Of the 64 operational pyaavs, three are run by the BMC while the rest are managed by private organisations or individuals,” the official said.
Apart from these, suburban railway stations across Mumbai also provide drinking water facilities.
However, the number of public drinking water stations in Mumbai remains far lower than in several cities in Europe, where hundreds of such fountains encourage people to refill bottles and reduce dependence on packaged drinking water.
Over the years, many of the older British-era fountains have fallen into disrepair or disappeared altogether. Among those that no longer exist are the Sir Cowasji Eduljee Dadachanji Pyaav built over the Bhandarwada reservoir in 1921 and a fountain near Bharatmata Theatre erected by Furdoonji Jejeebhoy in 1929.
According to Rahul Chemburkar, conservation architect and co-founder of Vaastu Vidhaan, rapid urbanisation and infrastructure expansion contributed to their disappearance.
“As the city prioritised transport infrastructure, roads and development projects, many of the old pyaavs became defunct and eventually vanished,” Chemburkar said.
Restoring the pre-independence legacy
The BMC’s first efforts to revive the fountains began in the mid-2010s with restoration of structures such as the Keshavji Naik fountain and the Madhavdas Laxmidas Kothari Pyaav in 2016.
In 2017, the civic body’s heritage cell, through the firm Vaastu Vidhaan, restored the Devidas Parbhudas Kothari Pyaav near the General Post Office.
The conservation firm later prepared a report mapping 22 historic fountains across the city that required urgent restoration, proposing the creation of a “pyaav circuit”.
Based on the report, the BMC launched the first phase of restoration covering four fountains inside the Byculla zoo.
“The four fountains inside the Byculla zoo were repaired and cleaned during the pandemic period. The idea was not only to preserve the structures but also revive them as drinking water facilities,” Chemburkar said.
“Even though piped water supply was available, we installed UV filters to ensure the water is safe. Today, these century-old structures cater to visitors at the zoo.”
Encouraged by the results, the BMC is now planning to restore 18 more British-era pyaavs in the next phase. These include the Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Pyaav at Dhobi Talao, the Ramji Sethiba Pyaav near the CSMVS museum and fountains along Mohammad Ali Road and below the Masjid Bandar flyover.
Most of these structures are currently in poor condition, with algae growth, chipped surfaces and damaged plaques.
The restoration project will involve cleaning, structural repairs and installation of new spouts where required. Officials said some fountains may also be relocated if their current locations are unsafe or affected by encroachments.
Need for more public drinking water stations
Urban planners and civic activists say expanding public drinking water stations could help reduce dependence on bottled water and provide relief during extreme heat events.
The India Meteorological Department’s heatwave advisory also emphasises the need to stay hydrated by drinking water frequently.
Bilal Khan, a city-based activist, said the BMC should consider installing water stations in high-footfall areas frequented by labourers such as labour nakas, busy junctions and bus stops.
“At present, even basic facilities like sanitation and toilets are not available free of charge. Providing safe drinking water in public places would help people, especially labourers who spend long hours working outdoors in the heat,” Khan said.
Urban planner Vivek Pai added that while water is a basic necessity, expansion of public water stations should be planned carefully based on demand and local supply conditions.
BMC officials said installing public drinking water stations is a relatively low-cost initiative and could be explored in more parts of the city.
Chemburkar said the fountains also serve as “pause spaces” in an otherwise hectic city.
“There is no reason why this beautiful civic practice should not be revived. Pyaavs can function as pause spaces where people quench their thirst, take shelter and briefly step away from the pace of city life,” he said.
Mumbai features several historic pyaavs, traditional drinking water fountains that are cherished heritage structures blending architectural elegance with public utility. (Express Photo/Amit Chakravarty) 
Similar to modern-day water kiosks, pyaavs were ornate fountains fitted with spouts that dispensed drinking water throughout the day. (Express Photo/Amit Chakravarty)
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