Will make all efforts to bring UNESCO World Heritage City tag for Hyderabad: KTR

Rama Rao said six stepwells located in the Qutb Shahi Tombs too were restored in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation and the effort was recognised by the UNESCO

Hyderabad: Telangana government will make all efforts needed to bring UNESCO World Heritage City tag for Hyderabad, said Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao here on Monday.

After inaugurating the 17th Century Bansilalpet Stepwell that regained its original glory after decades due to a dedicated restoration project taken up by the government, Rama Rao said six stepwells located in the Qutb Shahi Tombs too were restored in collaboration with the Aga Khan Foundation and the effort was recognised by the UNESCO.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, restoration of Moazzam Jahi Market, Murgi Chowk, Mir Alam Mandi, State Central Library, Shaikpet Sarai, Khursheed Jah Devdi have been taken up, he said. “The city is not all about a few concrete structures, a few steel bridges, a few buildings or flyovers or underpasses. A city’s soul is all about its culture, heritage, it’s beautiful monuments. Unfortunately, we were not able to protect them since centuries,” the Minister said.

Restoring Bansilalpet stepwell was not an easy task. “A total of 3,900 metric tons of waste was removed from this stepwell and shifted through 863 truck trips,” he said. To ensure this historic stepwell was cherished by future generations too, a museum, a cafeteria and an amphitheater have been built.

The Minister pointed out that the GHMC sanitation workers had put a lot of effort in addition to other stakeholders and the onus of safeguarding the stepwell from now on lies with the locals of the area.

Members of Gandipet Welfare Society (GWS) and The Rainwater Project, a social enterprise headed by Kalpana Ramesh who also played a major role in the revival of the water body, thanked the Minister for encouraging them throughout the journey.

Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav, MA&UD Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar, Mayor G Vijaya Laxmi, and others participated in the inaugural ceremony.

Cultural programmes were held at stepwell which was aesthetically illuminated, and small idol of Lord Ganesha, a Shivling and other items found while removing the debris and silt from the stepwell, too were displayed.

Stepwell in Osmania University to get facelift

A stepwell in the Osmania University would join the list of similar facilities that have been taken up restoration.

A student of the university drew the attention of MA&UD Minister, KT Rama Rao to the condition of the stepwell in the University College of Education department and sough measures to restore it.

Responding to this, the Minister directed MA&UD Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar to restore the stepwell. Arvind Kumar responded saying the restoration project would be taken up in consultation with the Vice-Chancellor of the university.