Гидроэлектростанции в Гималаях разрушают традиционную систему орошения и лишают фермеров воды

Every landscape has its own distinct relationship with water. Across the Kangra region in Himachal Pradesh, mountain communities have historically shaped this relationship through an intricate network of narrow channels that carry water from mountain streams across hamlets, orchards, and terraced fields. This traditional network is known as the Kuhl irrigation system. Kuhls function by diverting water from larger streams and tributaries, locally known as khads, distributing it across agricultural fields and human settlements before returning it to the natural watercourse downstream. Dug centuries ago, Kuhls were originally unlined earth channels maintained by village committees under the supervision of an appointed caretaker known as the Kohli. Over time, state watershed programmes implemented by the Irrigation Department replaced many of these earthen channels with concrete structures to improve conveyance efficiency and reduce maintenance requirements. Water diverted from mountain streams travels through these pakka kuhls before branching out into smaller kachha channels that navigate the mountain terrain to supply farms and households. Among the primary traditional applications of this diverted water is the Gharat, a water-powered mill used to grind wheat and other grains into flour. Water from the Kuhl is directed towards a structure constructed from stone, wood, and mud, where it turns a large wooden wheel located beneath the floor. This wheel converts the kinetic energy of flowing water into mechanical power to rotate the grinding stone above. The slow and methodical rotation keeps the flour cool during milling, preserving its taste and nutritional value in contrast to high-speed electric mills where friction generates elevated temperatures. The decline of traditional water mills along Awa Khad Research conducted from Kandbari village near Palampur shows that traditional water mills, known as Gharats, are steadily disappearing. Local residents explain that altered stream dynamics and a shift toward modern technology have made running a Gharat both impractical and financially unviable. Most Gharats in the area lie in ruins, with only one working mill remaining. Built decades ago by its owner, who is now in his nineties, the mill is run by his elder son and daughter-in-law. They consider themselves custodians of what they call "Pahadi culture", though the mill yields little income because few people pay extra compared to electric mill prices for traditionally ground flour. This traditional mill uses diverted stream water to grind wheat and coarse grains. Built from local stone, wood, and mud, the structure uses flowing water to turn a wooden wheel underneath, which drives a heavy grinding stone above. Because this rotation is slow and steady, the flour stays cool during milling, preserving its natural nutritional value, unlike high-speed electric mills where friction generates high temperatures.  Local accounts link these changes to widespread "alterations in the river flow" caused by the Awa Hydro Power Project, operated by Awa Power Company Private Limited. Situated about five kilometres upstream on Awa Khad, the primary stream feeding the village Kuhl irrigation network, the facility was built as part of a series of small run-of-river schemes in the Beas river basin. Although marketed as a sustainable energy alternative with minimal environmental impact, conversations with residents reveal that the project has disrupted stream flow, damaged irrigation networks, and changed how people view water. Farmers in Kandbari and nearby hamlets report major changes in stream behaviour since the dam was built. They note that Awa Khad used to flow continuously throughout the year, but downstream water availability during dry seasons now depends entirely on regulated releases by upstream operators.  Residents share a common experience: "Before the dam, Awa Khad flowed throughout the year with enough water for everyone. Now, during the dry season, we are at the mercy of the water controllers upstream." Because mountain agriculture relies on a steady water supply through Kuhl channels, these fluctuating river levels make irrigation unpredictable during dry periods, lowering crop yields and leaving downstream farmers to carry the heaviest burden. Field visits to the Awa dam, conducted as part of an academic programme titled "interrogating development" through the Sambhaavnaa Institute, revealed the physical workings of the project above the valley. Upstream, a small diversion channel directs water towards Palampur town for urban supply, while the main stream is routed into elevated concrete chambers and a large tunnel carved through the mountain. These holding chambers stay closed until sufficient water accumulates to run the power turbines, after which the water is released downstream. While engineered for efficiency on paper, this setup leaves previously free-flowing river sections dry for long stretches. Diverting stream water alters water temperature, flow regimes, and chemical composition, disrupting aquatic habitat conditions and riverine ecology. Studies on the run of river hydropower confirm these ecological impacts in bypassed river channels. For villages reliant on Kuhls, the resulting erratic water supply disrupts farming, drinking water availability, and historical ties to the river, with fading Gharats standing as the most visible marker of this shift.  The physical footprint of dam construction extends across the wider landscape through road building, blasting, tunnelling, and heavy concrete construction that fragments habitats and leaves visible scars on fragile mountain slopes. Despite these ecological threats and rising disaster risks across the Himalayas, small-scale infrastructure of this size does not require a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment. Power generated by these facilities feeds directly into the central grid, offering few direct benefits to local residents who absorb the environmental costs. Together with the Awa dam, these disruptions have eroded confidence in generational livelihoods like farming and water milling. The displacement of Kuhl networks and Gharats by small-scale run-of-river schemes is often framed as modern progress replacing outdated methods. The Gharat and Kuhl system getting displaced by the new "small-scale" run-of-river hydropower is perceived as an old technology being replaced by a new one. It looks modern, efficient and cost-effective because a big picture of the associated cost that local communities pay for it has completely been ignored. Such a "technocratic" water management system is gradually pushing the traditional mountain communities to the margins, creating an unequal division between people who live with nature and people who exploit it. The fading Gharats and disrupted Kuhls are its examples. They tell a story of a larger shift in which landscapes are redesigned for demands of the modern economic system, while the ecological relationships and livelihoods that once flourished around these waters are left to pay for it. This work was presented at the Mountains of Life Festival organised by the Azim Premji University, Bangalore in 2024.