Hyderabad: The 17th-century Bansilalpet stepwell, which was skillfully repaired, was awarded the prestigious Big 5 Construction Impact Award on Monday in Dubai.
The minister of municipal administration and urban development, K T Rama Rao, officially inaugurated the stepwell on Monday following which it was awarded the title. The stepwell won a prize from Big 5 Construction Impact for “sustainable revitalization of traditional rainwater harvesting”.
The stepwell project was named the winner of the Sustainable Initiative of the Year Award.
The Big 5 supports the development of the circular economy in the region and abroad as well as the UAE’s objective of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Rain Water Project and architectural firm Kshetra Consultants, which completed the restoration work, received the award at the Dubai World Trade Center late on Monday night.
The stepwell was renovated by several departments over the span of more than a year in collaboration with groups including the Gandipet Welfare Society, the Rainwater Project, and the local people. It will be turned into a tourist destination and a cultural hub by the urban development authorities.
In the upcoming four months, 10 more stepwells will be taken up for restoration, according to an announcement made on Tuesday by the special chief secretary for urban development, Arvind Kumar. The authorities finished restoring the stepwell, which had been abandoned and filled with trash.
It used to supply the community with drinking water, but after neglect, it became a waste dump. The restored stepwell will raise groundwater levels and avert flooding.
