Sustainability award for restored Bansilalpet stepwell in Hyderabad
The Hindu
The restored stepwell at Bansilalpet in Hyderabad won the prestigious Big 5 Construction Impact Award in Dubai
Hours after the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao threw open the restored stepwell at Bansilalpet in Hyderabad, the project won the prestigious Big 5 Construction Impact Award in Dubai. “The award is dedicated to the skilled persons, craftsmen and the people who worked for the cause. The award is for the community of the area who accepted the positive change,” said Surya Narayana Murthy of Kshetra after receiving the award.
The Award for the JV between architectural firm Kshetra which carried out the restoration work and the Rain Water Project which executed it was announced at a dinner gala at Dubai World Trade Centre late on Monday night. The stepwell project was named the winner of the Sustainable Initiative of Year Award. The Hyderabad team was picked from among 14 other projects in the category including some from China and Saudi Arabia in the Middle East Africa South Asia (MEASA) region.
The stepwell at Bansilalpet was disused and turned into a dumpyard in the area. The Rain Water Project led by Kalpana Ramesh stepped in and with the sustained involvement of workers of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority, the team cleaned up the well. The architectural conservation firm Kshetra worked on the restoration of the project including the reconstruction of portions which had collapsed.
In addition to excavating and removing tonnes of trash over months, the small park has been incorporated into the well area to create a cultural space for the neighbourhood.
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