Hyderabad: OU stepwells yet to regain pristine glory

Hyderabad: Even though the Telangana government is making efforts to rejuvenate the stepwells in Hyderabad and the entire State and promote them as tourist spots, there has been a clamour growing to restore the stepwells in the Osmania University campus. Even after the MAUD minister directed the authorities to take steps restore the heritage stepwells in December 2022, no furtherprogress has been made yet.

In late 2022, Naseer Nashu, student in the Education department of OU tweeted about the restoration of the heritage well in the campus. The Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K T Rama Rao positively responded to the tweet and directed the Secretary of MAUD Aravind Kumar to take up the restoration of the well in consultation with OU management.

One of the stepwells located in OU campus near the Education departmentis the Mah Laqa Bai Chanda stepwell built in 18th century which was designed to provide access to water during the dry season and also served as a place for gathering intellectuals and artists and religious ceremonies and rituals.

Mah Laqa Bhai Chanda was a 18th century poet and courtesan and was mainly influential in promoting women's education during Asaf Jah regime in Hyderabad. She was the first female poet from India whose anthology was published in 1798. Part of her Jagir (estate) was also given to the present-day OU campus. She constructed this step well in the precincts of the campus in 1798 and in 1792, she constructed a walled compound in Moulali, where she held mushairas frequently.

The architectural designer, Asaf Ali Khan has given insightful information about architectural design and history of step well. He enlightened about the engineering behind and construction of the step well.

Speaking to The Hans India, Kalpana Ramesh, founder of The Rainwater Project, said, "They are making efforts to restore the heritage step wells located in OU campus in coordination with Hyderabad Metropolitan Authority (HMDA) and OU management."

However, in an initiative towards achieving water resilience, the first ever step well clean up drive in OU campus is going to be held on April 3 to rejuvenate Sadak Ali step well located in the campus.

She stated that 70 percent of youth in our country contribute towards littering and they need to take initiatives to clean these stepwells and revive the lost glory as they are in a state of despair.