HYDERABAD: The 17th-century Bansilalpet stepwell in Secunderabad which has been restored to its original glory will be inaugurated on December 5 by MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao. The State government with the cooperation of various departments has brought back the past glory of the ancient stepwell that lay in ruins.
The stepwell, revived in Bansilalpet, has also caught Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention. During his recent Mann ki Baat, he praised the efforts of officials to restore the structure. Modi said he was happy as most of the people in India had made water conservation a life mission. The Bansilalpet stepwell is one such stepwell that is centuries old and is a part of our heritage. This stepwell was earlier filled with garbage and debris, but the campaign to revive the stepwell was successful, he said.
What began a year ago as the revival of the stepwell, also known as Nagannakunta, has now changed completely. The Bansilalpet stepwell had been neglected for decades, left in a dilapidated condition and filled with debris and garbage.
Restoration of the stepwell began with cleaning, dewatering, and desilting the well, structural strengthening of retaining walls, rebuilding and finishing works etc. The well has an annual rainwater harvesting potential of 30-35 lakh litres.
The Rainwater Project, an organization involved in several water management-related projects in the city, is involved in the restoration work of the Bansilalpet stepwell. Around 2,000 tonnes of garbage, silt and debris accumulated over the past four decades has been removed from the well and restoration began.
The stepwell, considered a heritage structure in Secunderabad is ready for a fresh lease of life, devoid of all the trash that buried it for decades and yes, with fresh water gushing from deep below.The old brick and mortar facade with jack arches towards the main road, has been restored and has at the main arch entrance a wooden block with ‘Bansilalpet’ engraved on it.
The narrow bylanes have been re-laid with electric lines shifted underground, sewerage and drinking water lines have been realigned, rainwater harvesting pits have been constructed and a spacious parking area has also been identified, in what was a congested residential area that had a stepwell.
Once tourists start visiting the place, the locals are expected to open shops selling handicrafts and handlooms, etc in front of their homes.
On Friday, Animal Husbandry Minister, T Srinivas Yadav visited the stepwell and its surroundings along with MAUD Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar and reviewed the arrangements. The newly constructed tourist plaza building will have replica model of the stepwell installed in it, displaying various types of ancient equipment found during the removal of silt accumulated in the well.