Hyderabad Bansilalpet Stepwell gets restored

Hyderabad Bansilalpet Stepwell gets restored

Subject : Art and Culture

Context: The Bansilalpet stepwell, which had turned into a dumpyard over the decades, was unearthed after removing over 2,000 tonnes of debris and relocating families that lived on the site.

Concept : 

• The seventeenth-century stepwell, which had turned into a dumpyard over the last four decades, was unearthed after removing over 2,000 tonnes of debris and relocating families that lived on the site.
• Over the last year, it was restored to its original glory.
• The well has been completely restored and now holds nearly 20 lakh litres of water and has regained its antique looks with magnificent galleries on the corridors of sixstage stepwell.
• The renovated well is expected to serve as a new cultural space for the city , say officials.
• Plans are on the anvil to restore and develop 43 more stepwells in the city as part of the efforts to achieve World Heritage City recognition from UNESCO.

World Heritage Site

• UNESCO World Heritage Sites are designated specific locations such as forest areas, mountains, lakes, deserts, monuments, buildings, or cities, etc. These are selected by the World Heritage Sites Committee. This committee oversees these sites with the help of UNESCO.
• The objective of this program is to select and preserve such places of the world which are important for humanity in terms of world culture. UNESCO provides financial assistance to such sites under certain circumstances.
• The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 UNESCO member states which are elected by the General Assembly.
• Each World Heritage Site remains part of the legal territory of the state wherein the site is located and UNESCO considers it in the interest of the international community to preserve each site.
• UNESCO believes that the entire world community is responsible for its protection. According to the official website of UNESCO, there are six cultural and four natural criteria for the selection of a world heritage site.