Hyderabad: After months of delay and completion of restoration works, the historic Bansilalpet stepwell in Secunderabad will be inaugurated on December 5 by IT Minister K T Rama Rao.
The restored stepwell features a tourist area, a scale model of the stepwell, and an exhibition of the tools used to remove the silt, debris, and trash that had been collected in the well.
Animal husbandry minister T Srinivas Yadav and MAUD special chief secretary Arvind Kumar examined the stepwell on Friday. They were accompanied by members of the Kalpana Ramesh-led social enterprise Rainwater Project. The Telangana government, in collaboration with this social enterprise, are to be credited for the restoration of the age-old structure.
“It took more than six months to clear more than 500 tonnes of trash, silt, and debris that had collected over the years. After the stepwell was cleaned, work on the building was initiated,” said Srinivas Yadav.
Kalpana Ramesh, who has actively taken part in the restoration of such heritage projects, including the Bansilalpet stepwell said that there are over 600 heritage step wells in the state, of which about 60-80 of them are located in the twin cities.
Kalpana stresses that the restoration of such wells could help in resolving urban flooding issues, reducing groundwater pollution, and assuring water security. She also called for NGOs and activists to be involved in the restoration of such projects.
The film producer Shobu Yarlagadda had also visited the well and commended the efforts of Kalpana Ramesh, and her team under the “Rainwater” project to restore this well.
