Hyderabad:Bharat Biotech has partnered with CII, Telangana and SAHE (The Society for Advancement of Human Endeavor) to restore the historic stepwells at Ammapalli Temple and Salar Jung Museum in Telangana, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. By restoring these stepwells, Bharat Biotech aims to preserve cultural heritage, promote water conservation and improve lives and livelihoods by boosting eco-heritage tourism in Telangana.
Bharat Biotech signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SAHE on Friday in the presence of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Minister for Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture Jupally Krishan Rao, Principal Secretary, Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture A Vani Prasad for the restoration of these structures.
“Through our humble contribution, we are supporting a far-reaching cause to breathe new life into these vital, ancient step-wells, inspiring the community to engage with its rich heritage and promoting sustainable water management,” said Suchitra Ella, Managing Director of Bharat Biotech.
"This initiative reflects our commitment to giving back and working together to preserve our cultural legacy,” she said.
To further this cause, Bharat Biotech has collaborated with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Telangana, to promote environmental sustainability, preserve cultural heritage and support Eco-Heritage Tourism.
“The partnership with local government and industry stakeholders signifies a shared dedication to not only restore these step-wells of Ammapalli Temple and Salar Jung Museum, but also to educate the public about their cultural significance,” Ella added.
Stepwells, once vital sources of water in rural and urban areas, are remarkable examples of ancient engineering and architecture. The Ammapalli Temple stepwell, believed to date back to the 13th century, served pilgrims and local communities with water for centuries. Similarly, the stepwell at Salar Jung Museum, dating back to the Qutb Shahi period, has historical significance as a community resource.
Today, iconic stepwells like 'Agrasen ki Baoli' in Delhi attract many tourists and 'Rani ki Vav' near Ahmedabad has even earned UNESCO heritage status. However, the situation is quite different for smaller, less ornate stepwells. With a consistent supply of water in homes, these traditional structures have lost their importance. Many have been demolished to make way for expanding urban areas, while others have unfortunately been repurposed as dumping grounds.
According to UNESCO, India is the largest extractor of groundwater in the world, with levels estimated to have dropped by 61% between 2007 and 2017. Although the country receives an average annual rainfall of about 1,170 millimetres (mm)--sufficient for water security if rainwater harvesting is effectively implemented--restored stepwells could significantly enhance this effort. These structures can capture substantial amounts of rainwater, particularly during the monsoon helping to replenish groundwater supplies.
About Bharat Biotech:Bharat Biotech (BBIL) is a biotech company in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. BBIL is a global leader with 145 patents, 20 vaccines and bio-therapeutics and registrations in 125 countries. These vaccines were developed through clinical trials in more than 20 countries worldwide and have been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed journals. The company has manufactured and supplied more than nine billion doses of vaccines globally, saving millions of lives and livelihoods annually.
The company has world-class vaccine and bio-therapeutics research, product development, manufacturing and distribution facilities. BBIL has developed vaccines for infectious diseases, including Hepatitis B, Pentavalent (DPT+HepB+Hib), Rabies, Typhoid, polio, H1N1 influenza, Japanese Encephalitis (JENVAC®), India’s first Rotavirus vaccine, the world’s first Typhoid conjugate vaccine, TYPBAR TCV®, novel vaccines for COVID-19 such as COVAXIN® and INCOVACC®. BBIL introduced WHO pre-qualified vaccines, namely BIOPOLIO®, ROTAVAC®, ROTAVAC 5D®, and TYPBAR TCV®, in several countries worldwide.
BBIL has a strong pipeline of innovative vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis, Para Typhi A, non-typhoidal salmonella, chikungunya, and Zika. The acquisition of Chiron Behring vaccines has positioned Bharat Biotech as one of the world's largest rabies vaccine manufacturers with CHIRORAB® and INDIRAB®.
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