Indian Forest Service officer Vaibhav Singh has shared a video on Twitter of a structure that looks like a canal supported by wooden logs, with water gushing through it. Tweeting it, the officer wrote: “While on an official tour in the forests of Tons Division on the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal, I came across this interesting structure built on a hill stream, any guesses???”

Many Twitter users replied, one commenting that it is a water canal near a flour mill in Himachal, called Gharat. Another one said that these are used for transporting logs, while someone else said it is a channel for spring water, used for irrigation or domestic and drinking purposes.

Finally, the officer himself gave the correct answer. He said that “this is a wet slide used for the transportation of sawn timber to the roadhead. Wet slide is a traditional technique of timber transit used in the mountains. This particular slide is being used in Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation in Kotigaad stream of Tons Valley.” He also posted a video of logs being transported.

While on an official tour in the forests of Tons Division on the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal, I came across this interesting structure built on a hill stream,any guesses what this could be ??? pic.twitter.com/MIzUrMzMTp

— Vaibhav Singh,IFS (@VaibhavSinghIFS) July 8, 2023

A few followers who commented on this thread, did get the answer half correct, it seems!

This is a wet slide used for the transportation of sawn timber to the road head.Wet slide is a traditional technique of timber transit used in the mountains.This particular slide is being operated by Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation in Kotigaad stream of Tons Valley. https://t.co/GPs2nGLyhf pic.twitter.com/uIQu1TneUk

— Vaibhav Singh,IFS (@VaibhavSinghIFS) July 9, 2023