Nurpur: Kuhal diversion closes the last of the Kotla gharats, displacing five households
A few decades ago, eleven “ghats” (watermills) that supported several households in the Jawali subdivision of Kangra district’s Dehar and Bharal khuds of Kotla and the neighboring villages did business.
Just three of these “gharats,” which are conducted via a kuhal (water channel) of Dehar khud, are still in existence at Kotla as a result of time and the development of mechanical methods for grinding wheat and corn.
The private construction company hired by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to build the Pathankot-Mandi highway widening project package-2 (from Bherkhud to Batees Meel) recently diverted the water channels used for operating the three remaining “gharats,” causing five impoverished families to lose their source of income.
After these “ghats” were closed, the impacted family, who had been relying on them for many generations, were not given any compensation.
Pratap Chand, Praveen Kumar, Parshotam, Prem Chand, and Inderpal claim that their families were having a difficult time making ends meet after losing their sole source of income as a result of the watermills collapsing.
They made appeals to the NHAI officials to evaluate their damages and provide them quick compensation, as well as to the state government to become involved in the situation.
The impacted families have been begging for their “gharats” to be restored and compensation of Rs 2 lakh per for the last year in order to support their family.
Most of Kangra’s former “gharats” were located along the banks of rivers that flowed quickly from naturally occurring water channels. Beneath the swiftly moving stream of water, a turbine powered by the water’s movement is placed. Two big, spherical stones are positioned within the “gharat,” one over the other. These stones are attached to the turbine. Both stones rotate when water hits them in the turbine. The stone that sits above has a hole cut in it. Through this opening, grains are fed and crushed between the stones.
