Indian watermills are all set to get international recognition thanks to the joint efforts of the central government and HESCO, a Dehra dun-based NGO, towards roping in United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDPO), headquartered in Vienna.
UNIDO has agreed to set up an international watermill hub in Uttarakhand, which will go a long way for the technology enhancement of the small water device. UNIDO would also shortly organise an international conference on watermills in Delhi and Dehradun.
“We are feeling very glad as our watermills are getting international recognition,” said Anil P Joshi, the head of HECO, which is responsible for lighting up border villages in trouble-torn Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East.
The international conference will assess the social, economic and ecological impact of watermills, particularly in the context of the issue of climate change. Significantly, UNIDO would try to create international understanding on mutual benefits and advantages of watermills and the need for upgrade.
It also plans to introduce technologies and explore technological innovations for better efficiency and establish linkages between water millers, technologists and academic institutions.
Attempts will be made to establish an international alliance of water millers for transfer of knowledge and technology and also establish an International Forum for technology transfer between water millers across the globe so that expertise and experiences could be shared.
Watermills, locally known as gharats, had been in use in mountain region since time immemorial, have now become the most sought-after device in the far-flung areas of the country. This is where HESCO, in close partnership with the army, has set up scores of eco-friendly devices.
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A watermill can grind wheat and generate 2-5 Kw of electricity. Currently, there are 200,000 watermills in the Himalayan region. According to an estimate prepared by HESCO, watermills can generate 2,500 Mw of power in the Himalayan region.
The working of a watermill is similar to a hydroelectric power plant. Water from a stream is tapped and routed through a chute. There is a wheel at the centre. Flat blades or turbines are fixed at the wheel.
The water falls from a certain height and forces the wheel to rotate. “This system has worked harmoniously with the nature and man for thousands of years and is abundantly ground in the Himalayas,” says Joshi.
HESCO is also running a training centre at its office at Shuklapur area in Dehradun. Already, people from Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have taken training in watermills.
HESCO, in a joint venture with the Indian army, instaled nearly 800 watermills in the border villages of Jammu and Kashmir, most badly hit by terrorism. Villages in areas like Kupwara, Baramulla, Kargil, Batalik Drass, Poonch and Rajouri had been benefited by the watermill campaign, Dr Joshi said.
Last year, HESCO went to the North-East instaling watermills in states like Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.