“Pyaavs today really could be instigators and facilitators mainly as drinking water fountains [but] at the same time also create a cultural connect and socio-cultural tourism.”

Not too long before potable water became a commodity that could be bought and sold, its presence in the Indian urban infrastructure as drinking water fountains – or pyaavs as they are known in Mumbai – was closely associated with altruism and public memory. Our guest, Rahul Chemburkar, is on a mission to restore the pyaavs and activate the space around them to become thriving socio-cultural hubs of urban life.

Architect and heritage enthusiast Rahul Chemburkar is involved in conserving varied built heritage through his firm Vaastu Vidhaan by successfully reviving & rendering a glimpse of a glorious past to the current society.

To follow Rahul’s work on the pyaavs: https://www.vaastuvidhaan.in/The-Pyaav-Project.html and https://www.instagram.com/p/CQufeJpJ_9u