Hyderabad’s 17th Century stepwell wins global award in Dubai

It was a proud moment for India and Telangana as one the historic monuments in Hyderabad received international recognition. The 17th Century Bansilalpet stepwell and precinct restoration project in Secunderabad was bestowed with the prestigious Big 5 Construction Impact Award in Dubai this week.

The six-layer stepwell of the Nizam era had turned into a dump yard in the last four decades and more than 2,000 tonnes of debris was removed from there. Families which had settled on the site were relocated to another place.

The restored monument which was opened by K.T. Rama Rao on Monday now has several new additions. It has an amphitheatre, the surroundings are paved with cobblestone, a viewing gallery overlooking the stepwell and a multi-storeyed tourist plaza.

Besides this for the comfort of the people visiting the monument, a history interpretation centre, a cafeteria and toilets have been opened. In the adjoining open ground, fencing has been done and it now has a garden, jogging track and stone benches.

The international award at Dubai is given by the Government of United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in recognition of sustainable development and technological and digital achievements in the construction industry. The winners were announced at a ceremony at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had praised the efforts of the officials to restore the stepwell in his Mann ki Baat. He said: “The Bansilalpet step-well is the one such step-well which is centuries-old and is a part of our heritage. This step-well was earlier filled with garbage and debris, but the campaign to revive the step-well has begun.”

The restoration work of the monument was carried out by Kshetra Consultants, an architectural firm and executed by The Rain Water Project. They were supported by Gandipet Welfare Society and the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department of Telangana.