Foothill farms flourish where hill towns falter

While popular hill destinations like Dharamsala and McLeodganj battle road collapses and landslides, driven by disrupted natural drainage and unchecked urban growth, the foothill villages of Kangra near Nagrota Bagwan tell a different story.

Here, on the lower slopes of the Dhauladhar range, the landscape thrives. Terraced farms shimmer with ripening paddy, a scene of resilience rooted in tradition. “The old drainage channels built by our ancestors still hold the soil together and keep the land fertile,” says Rohit Samuel, an agriculturist and cyclist who often rides through the region.

The numbers mirror this stability. According to Narinder Mongra, chairman of the APMC, nearly 750 quintals of native rice were procured last year from just 26 active farmers. “It is among the finest varieties, grown in terraced fields that respect nature’s rhythm,” he notes.

At the heart of this success lies the ancient kuhl system — hand-dug irrigation channels that guide snow-fed river water across fields. These kuhls not only ensure steady irrigation during dry spells but also preserve the ecological balance, preventing the kind of environmental stress seen in the highlands.

Against the dramatic backdrop of the snow-capped Dhauladhars, these foothill villages stand as proof that progress need not scar the earth. Where urban centres falter under the weight of unplanned expansion, Kangra’s foothills remind us of a gentler wisdom—where nature and tradition work side by side.