Govt to revive watermills in Uttaranchal

Watermills are being revived by the government in Uttaranchal to help improve the living standards in villages.

Initially, the government would develop 11 model water mills as multipurpose resource centres to enhance the living standards of rural communities as well as to reduce forest degradation, officials of the Uttaranchal Renewable Energy Development Agency (Ureda), the state government's implementing agency for the project, said.

In this regard, the government has roped in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a soft loan of Rs 1.125 crore for this project.

An agreement for this was recently signed during the weekend with Chief Minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari expressing optimism over the revival of watermills to boost the rural economy of the hilly state. Mr Tiwari was earlier chief minister of the larger state of Uttar Pradesh.

After establishing the model watermills, which are presently producing 2-5 Kw of electricity, the government would upgrade them to 9 Kw level and give them the status of cottage industries.

Ureda would also form an association of watermillers in all the 13 districts of the state as well a state-level federation.

A move is also afoot to rope in non-government organisations that have acquired proficiency in the revival of watermills in northern India.

Hesco, a Dehra Dun-based NGO, is currently engaged in reviving old and defunct watermills in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Arunchal Pradesh.

The government will also provide special training to 100 watermill technicians for operation and maintenance purposes.

According to AK Tyagi, chief project officer of Ureda, survey of 13,500 watermills in Uttaranchal was recently completed.

"Ureda has till now imparted training to nearly 25 watermillers," Chief Project Officer of Ureda AK Tyagi said.