Government trains sights on reviving stepwells in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) department and Hyderabad Design Forum (HDF) will enter into an agreement for the revival of select stepwells in the city and for publication of a book on the subject. A similar agreement between the latter and the Department of Heritage Telangana in 2018 stands revoked.

Speaking to The Hans India, Yashwant Ramamurthy, the president of HDF, said, "We submitted a draft a month back to MAUD. The government is keen on reviving the stepwells."

There are close to 50 stepwells in Greater Hyderabad region alone and the HDF team traced 140 in the state. About 20 stepwells have been surveyed, photographed, put on AutoCAD with oral history. As per the new agreement, 10 stepwells would be taken up for restoration.

Since 2015, HDF team led by Yashwant Ramamurthy tracked down stepwells, some in remote villages that lay neglected, abandoned and forgotten leading to a joint project on documenting ancient stepwells and a book titled 'Forgotten stepwells of Telangana that did not happen. Yashwant is hopeful that his dream project would come true this time around.

'Every Sarai had a stepwell'

How many stepwells are there in the twin cities?

There could be close to 50 stepwells in the twin cities. Every day I get calls from people who share pictures of abandoned stepwells that people now use dump garbage. Just a few days ago, a youngster from Moula Ali sent a photo of a stepwell. Several stepwells that are under private ownership and owners are willing for its revival.

How come there are so many?

Every Sarai had a stepwell, these Sarais' were places where visitors and traders to the city would stop by and these were trading pavilions. Traders from far and wide would come in camels. There are stepwells in temples and masjids too. Some of the largest stepwells were created by the Samasthans. There were stepwells in most gardens of the landed gentry.

They had multiple uses. It facilitated irrigation, worked as storage systems, the steps made it easy for women to fetch water, during Bathakuma the natural properties of flowers immersed in stepwells would purify the water.

Have you revived any stepwell recently? How long would it take?

We revived a stepwell in Begumpet in eight days and water is restored. Reviving a stepwell depends on the age, size and level of deterioration. At times 200- 300 leads of garbage would need to be removed, the inner walls need to be strengthened and water needs to be pumped out.

Some stepwells in city

• The stepwell at English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) built in geometric design is more than 200 years old. Several cultural programmes were held after it was restored

• The Badi bowli at Qutb Shahi Tombs was restored by the Aga Khan Trust

• The well at Hayat Begum Bakshi mosque was once called Hati Bauli or 'Elephant well' is now filled with garbage

• There are six stepwells inside the Sitarambagh Temple complex