Sacred water channels of Kangra now reduced to choking drains

The age-old ‘kuhl’ irrigation system of the Kangra Valley, once regarded as sacred lifelines of agriculture, is undergoing a profound cultural and ecological transformation. What were once worshipped water channels have today been reduced to choking drains in many places. The decline is visible across the Kangra Valley, from Nagrota Bagwan to rural interiors where traditions once ran deep.