Guls and kuls
Also called: Kuls, Kuhl · Topic: Water Resources of India: Availability, Use and Conservation · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 1 "The Story of Indian Farming"; Class 10, Ch 3 "Water Resources"
Meaning
Guls and kuls are traditional channels in the Western Himalayas. They divert water from glaciers and streams to fields and villages. In these mountains rain is low, and in summer the main water comes from melting snow. A kul takes this meltwater from high up and leads it along the slope. It often ends in a village tank, which releases the water when it is needed.
Example
In Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, a kul brings glacier water to a village tank at Kaza. The village then lets the water out to its fields as required.
Don't confuse with
- Inundation channels: these carry river floodwater across the flat plains of Bengal. Kuls carry snowmelt down mountain slopes.
Related concepts
- Ancient hydraulic structures of India
- Kallanai
- Traditional water harvesting systems
- Inundation channels
- Khadin
- Johad
- Taanka
- Kund
- Ahar-pyne
- Eri