SRINAGAR: The Ladakh administration has submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti for the construction of 36 check dams across the Union Territory to strengthen water security, expand irrigation facilities and bring more land under assured irrigation.
The proposal, submitted on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, comprises seven Himalayan Rock Check Dams in Leh and 29 RCC check dams/weirs in Kargil. The projects are estimated to cost more than Rs 56 crore and have been proposed for inclusion under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
According to the Detailed Project Report submitted to the ministry, the proposed structures are expected to irrigate more than 18,600 acres of land by impounding water from the Indus River in Leh and the Suru River in Kargil.
The 29 check dams proposed for Kargil follow concerns over agricultural water requirements and the acute water shortage witnessed in the region. The issue was also raised by villagers during Saxena’s recent visit to Kargil.
Despite having extensive glaciers, snowfall and glacial meltwater, Ladakh faces water shortages during the agricultural season. The administration said less than one per cent of the total annual snow and glacial meltwater is currently being utilised.
As part of efforts to address the issue, the administration has undertaken locally suitable water conservation measures, including the construction of five Himalayan Rock Check Dams in Ladakh.
Saxena had also raised the initiative with Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil during a meeting in May. The minister appreciated the intervention and assured support for innovative water-management initiatives in Ladakh.
The pilot Rock Check Dams have reportedly yielded encouraging results, creating an average storage capacity of 25 to 30 million litres of water in shallow stretches of the river while withstanding increased water flow.
The administration said water flow in the Indus, which was around 25 cusecs in May, rose to nearly 200 cusecs in August, but the rock check dams continued to withstand the increased pressure.
“Ladakh cannot afford to let its precious glacier and snowmelt water flow away unused while our farmers face water shortages during the agricultural season,” Saxena said.
He said the Rock Check Dams, along with the recent initiative to divert around 90 million litres of glacier water from Stok Nallah into the Igoo-Phey Canal and Chushot village canal, showed that simple and cost-effective interventions could improve water availability and agriculture.
The administration said three pilot Rock Check Dams had increased water availability in existing irrigation canals and expanded cultivable command areas by up to 30 per cent, demonstrating their suitability to Ladakh’s geographical and hydrological conditions.
Since taking charge as Lieutenant Governor, Saxena has initiated several projects aimed at improving long-term water and agricultural security in Ladakh, including Project Him Sarovar, Himalayan Rock Check Dams, and the operationalisation of the Igoo-Phey and Mahey canals.
So far, six Him Sarovars have been commissioned, while five Rock Check Dams have been completed, the administration said.
