Excavators find 'British-era' boat in Uttarakhand

Excavators in Chamoli district found the boat believed to be 50 years old in Durmital area, which was popular with British sailors, according to reports.

Chamoli: Villagers in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district have discovered a 50-year-old boat during an excavation in Durmita area, which is believed to be of British origin.

It is being said the area was popular with British sailors.

"Even after independence, Durmital remained a major source of employment for more than a dozen villages in the Taal valley. A large number of tourists used to visit here. After the 1971 natural disaster, many beautiful things of the area are lost and we think that this boat also one of those things," said Village head Mohan Singh Negi said.

As the tourism department is badly affected by the Corona pandemic, the local villagers themselves have come forward to decorate and renovate the Durmital.

Here people from several villages including Paana, Jhinjhi, Irani, Pagna, Durmi, Tholi and Byara Gowna are busy grooming Durmital to attract tourists again. It is said that Durmital was spread in about five km area of ​​Nizmula Valley during the British rule.

Locals are demanding from the administration to reconstruction the boat.