Leh: The Ladakh administration has submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti seeking approval for construction of 36 check dams across the Union Territory to strengthen water security and expand irrigation infrastructure.
According to officials, the proposal includes seven Himalayan Rock Check Dams in Leh and 29 reinforced cement concrete (RCC) check dams/weirs in Kargil at an estimated cost of over Rs 56 crore. The projects have been proposed for inclusion under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
The administration said the proposed structures would help harness water from the Indus River in Leh and the Suru River in Kargil, improve irrigation facilities and bring additional cultivable land under assured irrigation. As per the detailed project report submitted to the ministry, the 36 projects are expected to provide irrigation to more than 18,600 acres of land.
Officials said 29 check dams have been proposed for Kargil in view of agricultural requirements and water scarcity issues highlighted during Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena’s recent visit to the district.
The administration noted that despite extensive glaciers and snowmelt resources, Ladakh faces water shortages during the agricultural season and currently utilises less than one per cent of its annual snow and glacial meltwater.
The proposal follows pilot Himalayan Rock Check Dam projects undertaken in the region. According to the administration, the pilot structures created storage of around 25 to 30 million litres of water and withstood a rise in the Indus River flow from about 25 cusecs in May to nearly 200 cusecs in August.
During a meeting with Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in May, Saxena apprised him of the initiative and sought support for water conservation measures in Ladakh, officials said.
The administration claimed that three pilot rock check dams increased water availability in existing irrigation canals and expanded cultivable command areas by up to 30 per cent.
Officials said Ladakh has also implemented other water conservation and irrigation projects, including Project Him Sarovar, the Igoo-Phey irrigation canal and the Mahey Canal. Six Him Sarovars and five rock check dams have been completed so far.
