Villagers revive windmill project in Kullu

Our Correspondent

Kullu, January 11

Residents of Tungh village in the Banjar area generated electricity through a defunct watermill (gharat) when most of the areas in the district was plunged into complete darkness due to breakage of power lines because of heavy snow on December 13 last year.

Work on the project was started in 2010 with the aid of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), but was lying defunct since 2012, after the water was diverted from its source channel, as it had developed seepage in many parts due to lack of maintenance.

Gopal Thakur, president of an NGO, Biodiversity Tourism and Community Advancement (BTCA), said after recent power breakdown, the project was revived with the help of villagers. He said the unit provided power supply to eight houses.

District development manager, NABARD, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, Urmil Lata said: “Such a project can be initiated at a cost of Rs 5 lakh and can generate 3-5 kw power. Besides power the project can be utilised for oil extraction, wool carding machine and traditional flour grinding mill as well.”

She said NABARD would shortly take a similar project in Bharnagi village of the region, as this method was self-dependent, sustainable and an eco-friendly way to generate power and also revived futile water mills.

She said NABARD provides low interest rate loans to registered societies and even panchayats for setting up such units.

Panki Sood, operator of eco-tourism camps in the area, said harnessing traditional sources for latest technological use could be of interest to visitors of the Great Himalayan National Park, which had been declared as the World Heritage Site.