Leh: In a major push to secure Ladakh’s scarce irrigation water, the UT Administration has approached the Centre with a proposal for 36 new check dams, seeking approval for projects worth more than Rs 56 crore that could bring over 18,600 acres of land under assured irrigation.
Submitted to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), the proposal includes seven Himalayan Rock Check Dams in Leh and 29 RCC Check Dams/Weirs in Kargil.
The proposal, submitted on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, seeks to capture and utilise water from the Indus and Suru rivers, much of which currently flows downstream unused, particularly during periods of high glacial melt.
The initiative assumes significance for Ladakh, where agriculture faces acute water shortages despite the region’s vast reserves of snow and glacier meltwater.
According to the Detailed Project Report submitted to the Centre, the proposed 36 structures could irrigate more than 18,600 acres, strengthen existing irrigation networks and expand the cultivable command area.
The proposal builds on the results of Himalayan Rock Check Dams already constructed in Ladakh.
The administration said the pilot structures have demonstrated their ability to store water and withstand substantial increases in river discharge.
The check dams have created an average storage of 25 to 30 million litres of water at shallow stretches of rivers. In the Indus, water flow increased from around 25 cusecs in May to nearly 200 cusecs in August, yet the structures successfully withstood the increased pressure.
According to the administration, three pilot Rock Check Dams have increased water availability in existing irrigation canals and expanded cultivable command areas by up to 30 per cent.
The successful pilot experience has now prompted the UT Administration to seek Centre-level support to replicate the model on a much larger scale.
The largest component of the proposal is for Kargil, where 29 RCC Check Dams/Weirs have been proposed in response to irrigation requirements and water shortages reported from several areas.
The proposal follows the Lieutenant Governor’s recent visit to Kargil, during which villagers highlighted the need for additional irrigation infrastructure and assured water supplies.
Seven Himalayan Rock Check Dams have separately been proposed for Leh.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena said Ladakh must make maximum use of its available water resources instead of allowing glacier and snowmelt water to flow away while farmers face shortages.
“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 cited the Rock Check Dams and the recent initiative to divert approximately 90 million litres of glacier water from Stok Nallah into the Igoo-Phey Canal and Chushot village canal as examples of cost-effective and locally suitable interventions.
“We must harness every possible water resource and create a water-secure, agriculturally prosperous and climate-resilient Ladakh,” he said.
The administration said Ladakh currently utilises less than one per cent of its annual snow and glacial meltwater, despite having extensive glaciers, snowfall and seasonal melt.
This gap, officials said, highlights the potential for expanding water-harvesting and irrigation infrastructure across the UT.
The proposed check dams are intended to store water during periods of high flow and make it available for agriculture when irrigation demand rises.
The proposal follows a meeting between LG Saxena and Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in May, when the Lieutenant Governor apprised him of Ladakh’s Rock Check Dam initiative.
The administration said Patil appreciated the initiative and assured support for innovative water-management interventions in the Union Territory.
The latest proposal is part of a wider water-security strategy being pursued by the UT Administration, which includes Project Him Sarovar, Himalayan Rock Check Dams, the Igoo-Phey irrigation canal and Mahey Canal.
So far, six Him Sarovars have been commissioned and five Himalayan Rock Check Dams completed.
