How the Himalayan villages quench their thirst?
The picturesque villages in the foothills of Himalayas are known for their cool beautiful weather, cheerful and friendly people, dense forests and teeming wildlife. Whoever travels there comes back with memories of pleasant experiences.
The nature and greenery of these places just seem so endless.
It won’t come to anyone’s mind that these green villages were once facing huge water shortages. The whole area is situated on mountain slopes, so the water when it rains just rushes down to the plains quickly leaving very less for villagers to use. Also, the rocks beneath the soil make tube wells or bore wells unsustainable.
How to get water for living then?
Some nearly 80 years back, there was a British engineer who along with a group of villagers started digging small canals throughout the area. The idea was get water from perennial Himalayan streams far up in the mountains to the villages. It took years to dig up the whole system which is around hundreds of kilometers long.
Even today these canals are the main source of water for these foothill villages which crisscross the village with their dense network.
Each and every member of the village has pledged to keep those canals clean and slit free.
These canals are a attraction to travellers who don’t forget to take a swim when they visit!!