Medieval era water channel goes dry

KOTDWAR GARHWAL (Uttarakhand): The historical Maletha Ki Gool - a water channel in Maletha village here - has dried up for the first time since its

construction in medieval era as a dry spell continues in the northern belt. Villagers, who depend upon the water channel for their irrigation needs, are a worried lot these days. It is the first time in my memory that I have seen the channel without a drop of water and rice fields without plants," Savitree, a villager, said. While another villager Meharban Singh feared that it might be bad omen as the Channel has gone dry for the first time.However, Kammi Krishn, a local environmentalist, said that it is the global warming which has spelt its doom on this tiny Himalayan village.

Notably, lack of rains in Himalayan region has brought down the water level of most of the rivers unprecedented low, including Chandrabhaga river which supplies water to the Maletha channel.The Gool was constructed by Madho Singh Bhandari, to bring the water from Chandrabhaga river to the barren land of Maletha village.