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Restoration of Bansilal - Project - ‘Pots for Water of
Pet Kuan,
Secunderabad, Life’
Telangana : a people’s
Shri MupattamSri Narayan, the pioneer of
(Janbhagidari Abhiyan) the initiative sharing his inspirational story
movement
“It was 9 years ago that I thought of providing
Bansilal-Pet Kuan, a beautiful heritage drinking water to birds, squirrels and other
stepwell located in the Secunderabad animals . I thought of this when I happened
area of Hyderabad, was filled with to see a bird dying for the lack of drinking
water. The incident evoked intense feelings in
garbage for the last 42 years. The
me and I was determined to find a solution
Municipal administration of the city,
for the problem. On the same day itself I
took the charge of restoring the
started my effort to provide drinking water
stepwell with the help and support of
for birds. I planned a project named ‘Pots for
peoples. Various NGOs, sanitation
water of life’.
workers and locals were involved in this
Janbhagidari abhiyan and Under the project, I supplied earthen pots to my
approximately 2000 tonnes of garbage fellowmen to provide drinking water to birds. I
was removed from this 53 ft deep ask them to keep water in these to quench the
marvelous stepwell. thirst of birds. The number of pots keeps on
increasing with time. I started distributing
Kalpana Ramesh, the founder of Rain
thousands of pots each year to different parts of
Water Project and an active the country. This provided drinking water to lakhs
contributor to this movement mentions of birds, squirrels and so on.
that stepwells like Banislal-pet can
Three years back I sought the involvement of
reduce major problems of urban
scouts and guides students and thus I could
floods, groundwater pollution and can
extend the project from Kasargod to
become a source of rain water harvesting.
Kanyakumari. Last year, I distributed pots to
MV Ramachandrudu, an environmentalist SevaGram Ashram in Wardha of
associated with the restoration activities Maharashtra. The ashram is visited by
believes that Bansilal - Pet stepwell is a several Chiefs of state, Politicians, Literary
symbol of a strong tradition of conserving figures and such influential peoples from all
where people were able to harvest over the world. When they reach the Ashram
water for a variety of purposes. they are given one of my pots. When they
take the pot to their country it becomes an
Srinivas Reddy, the Zonal inspiration to do the charity work in their own
Commissioner of Greater Hyderabad country and thus the project is extended to
Municipal Corporation emphasized all over the world.
that restoration of stepwells like
I am glad to say that this year the number is
Bansilal-Pet will tell future generations
racing around one lakh pots. Now I am
about how such beautiful structures Scan this QR code to better
greatly satisfied to fulfill my ambition. Once
were constructed 100-150 years ago understand Sree Narayana
again I seek the blessing of god.”
and how it catered to the water related Mupattam's campaign
'Pots for water of life'.
needs of the locals.
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