HYDERABAD: The state government will take up the restoration of all defunct, dilapidated and historically significant stepwells in and around Hyderabad, now that the restoration work of Bansilalpet stepwell in Secunderabad is in progress.
There are around 140 stepwells in the state, including 60 in Hyderabad. However, barring a few such as Bhagwandas Bagh and Shiva Bagh Baoli Gudimalkapur stepwell which was recently cleaned, two stepwells inside the Mah Laqa Bai Chanda’s maqbara which were restored nearly 10 years ago, Pushkarni at Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple in Ramanajpur, and the open well at Moula Ali are in a bad state.
Taking to Twitter on Friday, municipal administration and urban development principal secretary Arvind Kumar said, “We wish to revive, to the extent possible, all defunct / dilapidated #stepwells in & around #Hyderabad (sic).”
The MAUD department is currently undertaking restoration project of a heritage stepwell at Bansilalpet. The stepwell, which was built during the Nizam era, was the source of drinking water for residents of Bansilalpet and nearby areas for several years but became a dumping ground due to neglect. While updating the restoration status of the well, Secunderabad zonal commissioner B Srinivas Reddy said debris would be removed continuously for the next three days for the restoration project.
The government has been working with the Hyderabad Design Forum (HDF) to identify such stepwells. The forum has recently submitted a list of 100 wells in the state to MAUD department. The authorities have decided to shortlist the wells which will get a facelift and take up works in a phased manner.
One stepwell in Bapu Ghat, one in Gachibowli and two in Kokapet are the ones that are soon going to undergo restoration work. The officials in coordination with a few experts have incorporated methods to recharge the groundwater as part of their stepwell restoration project.
