Ancient stepwells restored as India faces growing water shortages

A 17th-century stepwell in Hyderabad was cleared and restored and has supplied drinking water since December 2022; the work by architect Kalpana Ramesh and partners is part of wider rainwater-recharge efforts as India confronts severe groundwater stress and areas approaching 'day zero'.

A restored 17th-century stepwell in Bansilalpet, Hyderabad, has begun supplying clean water after an 18-month cleanup and repair effort. The project was led by architect Kalpana Ramesh with support from Telangana authorities and the Rainwater Project. The stepwell has kept about nine metres of water in summer since its December 2022 reopening. The revival forms part of wider rainwater-harvesting and groundwater-recharge measures as India faces acute water stress. Key facts: - The Bansilalpet stepwell was cleared of decades of rubbish and restored and is reported as the first in Telangana to provide drinking water again after about 40 years. - Since restoration, the well has maintained roughly nine metres of water depth during summer months. - Kalpana Ramesh and the Rainwater Project have revived 25 stepwells in Telangana with government support; only Bansilalpet currently supplies potable water but there are plans to add filtration to others. - India is experiencing severe water stress, with more than 600 million people facing high-to-extreme water stress and several states reported as heading toward "day zero" by the Central Ground Water Board. Summary: Local restoration at Bansilalpet has returned a historic stepwell to use and provided a sustained source of groundwater in Hyderabad. Organisers aim to equip more revived wells with filtration and Telangana is pursuing broader rainwater-harvesting and recharge projects, while the overall national water situation remains under strain.