The people of Kashmir have traditionally used ghratas (flour mills powered by flowing water) to make flour from grain. But ghratas are slowly begun to disappear. Many traditional mills have shuttered, unable to compete with the availability of packaged flours, and increasing water pollution due to which many streams have turned dry.

Sabaz Ali, 70, one the oldest persons in Kashmir’s Bandipora district to be running a water wheel flour mill, is the last man holding out amidst this quiet disappearance.

An elderly man opens the door to a 100-year-old tin shed every morning in Kashmir’s Bandipora disctrict, to run flour through a traditional water flour mill, locally known as ‘Aab-e-Gratta’ in the Kashmiri language.

Sabaz Ali, 70 years old, has a face lined with shadows and wrinkles. He makes his living preserving this ancient tradition. Ali has been operating this water flour mill since he was a young man.

In recent years, many mills around the area have closed their doors. Ali believes he is too old to run it any longer, but if he doesn’t, who will? “I may pass on to the next world, but there is on one left to care for this mill. Which is truly unfortunate,” he sighs.