Water mills getting extinct in Mandi, Kullu

Dipender Manta

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Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 29

Water mills are getting extinct in Mandi and Kullu districts and its place are being taken by electricity-run mills to grind the grains.

A few years ago, every village had one or two water mills, known asghrat, to grind the grains. But with the passage of time, most water mills have become defunct.

The reason for their closure is the availability of power mills. People now prefer to grind their grains in power mills. It saves their time and money.

Prem Singh, who runs a water mill in the Chohar valley of Mandi district, said power mills had affected his business. People visit nearby villages to grind the grains in power mills. A few prefer to visit my water mill for the purpose, he said.

Subhash Thakur, native of Kanag village in Mandi, said the government should make efforts to revive the water mills.

According to the Industries Department, there are around 468 mills in Mandi district, of which the most are power mills. The department has no specific data on how many water mills are functional in the district.

OP Jaryal, General Manager of the department, said, “The modern technology has replaced the traditional one, which is the major cause of extinction of water mills. However, many water mills are still functional in Mandi district.”