Parsi Entrepreneur's Dream Yields Pure Water for Mumbai After 300 Years

On October 25th, 2025, the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival hosted a discussion on Waternamah, a collection of articles on water edited by Bachi Karkaria. The book pays tribute to the 300-year-old Bhikha Behram Well in Mumbai, which has consistently yielded pure, sweet water to the city's residents.

Waternamah is more than just a spiritual tribute; it aims to create public awareness about the vital role of water in sustaining life, just as the air we breathe. Karkaria retold the story of how the well came to be dug after Bhikha Behram, a Parsi entrepreneur, was propelled by dreams to undertake the project, despite the location being close to the sea. To everyone's surprise, the water that gushed forth was potable, not salty as expected.

Experts warn that the scarcity of clean, drinkable water is predicted to pose serious challenges in the future. Jaskirat Singh, an IIT-trained tech entrepreneur and environmental activist, bemoans the mindless pollution of rivers like Sutlej by industrial effluents, rendering them toxic. He laments that even educated professionals in Ludhiana are unaware that their drinking water comes from the polluted Sutlej.

All religions accord great importance to water, and it is an intrinsic part of sacred rituals across faiths. Yet, revered water bodies like the Ganga and Yamuna continue to be violated by industrial waste, despite laws in place to prevent this. Biodegradable offerings like flowers and mud diyas are not the real culprits, experts say.