Kata Pathar Canal

History

During the cold weather of 1840-41, Captain Cautley prepared a project for irrigating the extreme western portion of the Dun by means of a canal fed from the river Yamuna. The construction of the work was warmly recommended by the Civil authorities as the only means of developing a thinly populated but rich tract of country in which there was then no water available, not only for irrigation, but even for drinking and domestic purposes, beyond that supplied by a single well in the village of Pirthipur, but the project met with some opposition from the Canal Department, on the grounds that the diversion of a volume of about 80 cusec from the river would cause a serious diminution in the supply available for the Eastern and Western Yamuna Canals. The project remained in abeyance for some 8 or 10 years, after which the construction of the work was taken up, and the canal was opened in May 1854.

The Head Works

Captain Cautley fixed the position of the head of the canal immediately below the village of Kata Pathar, which Captain Cautley described as the highest point to which the mountains would allow him to go. This decision was criticised. The head-works, it was said might have been carried still further up the gorge; the extra head so gained would have enabled the required supply to be carried by a smaller channel, and would have given water to large tracts of land which were not commanded by the present canal. During the rains of 1894 the river set towards its left bank and washed away 300 feet of the masonry channel of the canal. Pending the construction of a temporary trough of corrugated iron sheets, the cost supply was obtained from the Naru nadi, but this supply, which fell to 15 cusec at the beginning of October, was insufficient. The trough however, was ready for the rabi season, and by means of it the supply to the canal was maintained.
 

Kata Pathar Canal System

The total length of channel is now 26½ miles made up as follows :-