Kokapet stepwell survives amid high-rise construction
HYDERABAD: Even as high-rise towers come up in Kokapet, a 180 year old stepwell has retained its identity despite standing in the middle of a busy road.
Volunteers step in to protect historic wells
Environmentalists and rainwater conservation activists are maintaining the stepwell, which has not lost its physical features over the years. The area has not just one such structure. Three more wells located at a goshala nearby remain intact.
Water stress worsens in fast developing Kokapet
With 50- to 60-storey buildings under construction across Kokapet, residents are struggling for water as groundwater levels have sharply declined. Recognising the situation, voluntary organisations have taken up the protection of four wells in the goshala area.
One of these wells is located in the middle of a road within the Golden Mile layout developed by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority. For the past 14 years, arrangements have been made to channel rainwater into the well, and the stored water is being used for cattle.
As development accelerated, roads in the area became heavily congested. As a result, the Golden Mile layout road, originally planned as a four-lane stretch, has effectively turned into a two-lane road due to the presence of the well. With traffic increasing from both directions, HMDA officials have drawn up plans to retain the well while converting the road into a four-lane carriageway.
‘Ancient wells must be preserved’
“We have been taking steps to protect the stepwell for the past five to six years. Its maintenance has been entrusted to the goshala management. Earlier, water from the four wells in Kokapet was used for agriculture. The government should take measures to protect such ancient wells,” said Kalpana Ramesh, founder of The Rain Water Project.
Bridge planned over well
Authorities have decided to construct a bridge over the well while ensuring its protection. The government has allocated a budget of ₹2.83 crore and recently invited tenders to take up the works.
