HYDRAA To Focus on Restoring Historic Step Wells To Boost Groundwater
Agency to revive heritage water structures to boost groundwater recharge and help tackle urban flooding.
Hyderabad: HYDRAA said it would focus on restoring and reviving historic step wells, the agency’s commissioner A.V. Ranganath and special chief secretary, environment, Jayesh Ranjan, stated on Friday. Speaking at an awareness programme 'Mee Baavi', organised by the Akarmaa Foundation at KBR Park, Ranganath and Ranjan highlighted the need to protect and restore stepwells.
They said step well restoration was included as part of the CURE Act. “These structures played a role similar to lakes in protecting groundwater resources. Step wells helped rainwater seep into the ground during the monsoon and could also help reduce flooding,” Ranjan said.
Telangana has more than 600 step wells, of which over 160 are located in the city. “Apart from serving as historical landmarks, restored step wells could help address drinking water needs in the future by supporting groundwater recharge. They can recharge the ground aquifers and can improve water levels in the surrounding areas”, Ranganath said.
Participants at the programme appreciated HYDRAA's efforts to restore lakes across the city and urged the agency to extend similar initiatives to stepwells to preserve Hyderabad's heritage.
Akarmaa Foundation co-founder and architect Arunima Shankar said they will work with HYDRAA in identifying step wells in points across the city that face heavy waterlogging, and will work towards the restoration of step wells along with the Agency.
