Rs 58L sanctioned to revive water mills in Champawat

Pithoragarh: In a bid to revive Uttarakhand's fading heritage, the state govt has sanctioned Rs 58 lakh for the conservation and restoration of traditional water mills or gharats in Champawat district.District magistrate Manish Kumar said, "The initiative, funded through the Missing Link Fund, aims to restore 12 defunct or poorly functioning gharats that have long been neglected due to the absence of dedicated budgetary support." The fund is meant to support stalled projects that could not be completed due to financial constraints.He added that the proposal was cleared after the district administration raised the issue during a recent meeting with chief secretary Anand Bardhan on expediting key projects, including those under the ‘missing link' category. "The administration highlighted how several such works had remained incomplete for years due to lack of funds," Kumar said.Gharats -- once central to rural life in Uttarakhand -- are traditional milling units and an important source of local livelihoods. Over time, many fell into disrepair due to the lack of a structured policy for their upkeep. Officials said the project is expected to boost the local economy by generating livelihood opportunities and encouraging community participation.The proposal to renovate gharats was submitted by the minor irrigation department across 12 villages: Gurjila, Metada, Swatada, Talli, Chaudirai, Ghurchum, Bhandar Bora, Bhadi, Simdar, Ronkunwar, Ghimani and Padasosera.Executive engineer (minor irrigation) Vimal Sutha said, "Renovation and repair work will begin once the funds are released."