No water, no mills: Bhaderwah’s traditional gharats face extinction

Bhaderwah, Jammu and Kashmir: Once the backbone of village life in the scenic Bhaderwah valley, traditional water-powered grinding mills, locally known as gharats, are steadily vanishing, as water scarcity tightens its grip on the region.

A prolonged spell of low snowfall and scant rainfall this winter has highly reduced water flow in the Neeru River and its tributaries, the lifeline of these centuries-old mills. As a result, dozens of gharats located in riverine villages have been forced to shut down, cutting off a vital source of livelihood for many families who depend on them.