Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has inaugurated India’s first rock check dam on the Indus River in Leh and officially launched the ‘Sindhu Jal Samriddhi Abhiyan’. The eco-friendly initiative seeks to provide a sustainable and economical solution to longstanding water scarcity facing local farmers.
The Lieutenant Governor stated on X, “Inaugurated the first of its kind Rock Check Dam on River Sindhu in Leh, under the ambitious ‘Sindhu Jal Samriddhi Abhiyan’, conceived as a sustainable, cost-effective solution for water and agricultural sustainability in Ladakh.”
He explained that unlike traditional concrete check dams, the innovative rock check dam is a semi-permanent barrier constructed by interlocking large rocks sourced from the riverbed. This structure slows the river’s flow and creates a substantial water pondage area for agricultural use. It is designed to withstand water pressure during increased river levels in summer and prevent washing away.
The Lieutenant Governor added, “Have directed the Irrigation & Flood Control Department to construct three more such check dams, on experimental basis. I am confident that this Rock Check Dam would emerge as an imitable model of engineering ingenuity and ecological sensitivity. It will offer a sustainable remedy for farmers’ irrigation woes, strengthen water security and support sustainable agriculture in remote villages of Ladakh.”
Additionally, on May 28, Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the launch of a major ecological and degraded land restoration project in Leh. The initiative plans to reclaim nearly 800 acres of barren land at Spituk Village by channelising excess water from the recently restored Igoo-Phey Canal to hydrate soils, remove toxic salts, and encourage natural vegetation growth.
Speaking about the project on X, the Lieutenant Governor said, “Glad to share the launch of an ambitious ecological and degraded land restoration drive in Ladakh, aimed at restoring nearly 800 acres of degraded and barren land at Spituk Village in Leh, using a simple & cost-effective freshwater engineering. The land, lying barren for hundreds of years, is being watered by channelising the excess water from the recently restored Igoo-Phey Canal, using simple machinery. Freshwater discharge would eventually hydrate the parched soils, flush out toxic salts, and trigger the natural vegetation growth, transforming wastelands into fertile, moisture-retaining ecosystems.”
Source: https://tinyurl.com/y4nm4w4u
