British-era well hidden under debris comes to fore in Thane

THANE: A piece of history has come to the fore outside Thane railway station. An ancient well, possibly dating back to the British era, was found under a thick of debris on Wednesday. Railway officials said the well is located outside platform 10 in Thane east. It measures 18 feet in diameter but the depth could not be fathomed.
Officials said it was probably used during the British era when steam engines operated but these were later phased out.
As civic bodies started supplying water to station areas, use of the well possibly reduced, said station manager R K Meena.
The theory is that the well got covered with dirt and debris as its use reduced over the years and was eventually covered it with metal sheets. It was forgotten until someone pointed out its presence to Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Sanjay Kelkar who alerted railway staff on Wednesday evening.
"I will write to the railways to have it is cleaned," said Kelkar. "We will also try to get information on its heritage value."
Local historians said they are unaware of any mention of a well around the railway premises. Historian Sadashiv Tetwilkar said, "There were few wells in the vicinity. But maybe this was unheard of as it seemed hidden from public view,"
The station itself has heritage value. The first train between Mumbai and Thane operated on this stretch.