Global Impact Awards: Bansilalpet Stepwell wins `Sustainability Initiative of the Year' at Dubai

The recently restored Bansilalpet Stepwell has won the `Sustainability Initiative of the Year" award at the Big 5, Global Impact awards in Dubai.

The 17th-century stepwell which majorly functioned as a designated dump yard for nearly four decades filled with approximately 2000 kilos of debris until it was restored to its past glory.

UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure's Big 5 construction impact awards recognize sustainable development as well as technological and digital achievements in the building industry.

The winners were announced at a ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. It recognized the collaboration of Kshetra Consultants and The Rain Water Project for their project "sustainable revitalization of indigenous knowledge of rainwater gathering at Bansilalpet."

Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao inaugurated the stepwell on December 5.

The stepwell now has an amphitheater, a tourist plaza, a viewing gallery overlooking the stepwell, a cage, a small garden, stone benches, and a jogging track.

Tucked away in the busy street of Secunderabad is a six-layer stepwell with a capacity to store nearly 22 lakh liters of water. The 17th-century Bansilalpet stepwell has footprints of the Kakatiya dynasty and traces of the Nizam and British empires. It is also said to be a replica of the well in Warangal's thousand-pillar temple.

In addition to recharging groundwater sources and borewells, Kalpana Ramesh of The Rainwater Project said the stepwell will mitigate flooding during monsoon. "Earlier, the trash-filled stepwell used to make the floods in low-lying areas much worse," she explained.

After removing the debris, most of the stepwell structure was intact but a few walls and steps were damaged. The damaged parts have been repaired with the same composition of lime used to build the stepwell.

A vibrant tourist spot

The area surrounding the stepwell has been developed as a tourist spot. The park near the stepwell has been dotted with vibrant electric lights. In addition to the heritage structure, a modern building overlooking the well has been erected. This modern structure will possibly include a quaint cafe, gallery, and more. A small garden and an amphitheater are on the other side of this building.

The narrow lane leading to Bansilalpet stepwell has been re-laid with an underground sewage system and electric lines. A parking space has also been identified just a few lanes away.