Leh, Sep 13: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday launched a mega project to revive the rapidly drying Tso Kar Lake by channelising 320 million litres of water per day from a glacier-fed stream at an altitude of 18,000 feet into the water body, which has lost nearly 70 per cent of its water in the past decade.
The initiative comes after the successful channelisation of 90 million litres of water from the Stok Glacier into canals serving Igoo-Phey and Chuchot villages, helping irrigate parched agricultural land in Leh’s vicinity.
The project focuses on recharging Tso Kar by channelising untapped glacier meltwater from the Rupsho Kharnak stream, situated nearly 11 km from the lake. The peak discharge from the Rupsho Kharnak stream during summers is estimated at around 132 cusecs or 320 million litres per day, a Lok Bhavan spokesperson said.
He said the project stands as a vital blueprint for high-altitude ecological restoration.
“By transforming untapped glacier water into permanent lifelines, Ladakh is taking decisive steps toward agricultural prosperity, revitalised rural economies, and long-term climate resilience. This will ensure that the iconic landscapes like Tso Kar and the life they sustain are preserved for generations to come,” Saxena said.
The lieutenant governor, during his visit to Tso Kar on August 10, was informed by local villagers and the ‘nambardar’ (village head) that the Lake was once a massive, thriving body of glacial water that sustained centuries of local salt trading and a delicate ecological balance. Subsequently, Saxena conceived the initiative.
However, in recent years, the Tso Kar Lake has receded, leading to the dwindling of bird populations and the loss of grazing land. The vast, dry patches of land can be seen around the lake, where deep waters once stood. Accordingly, the lieutenant governor directed the Public Health Engineering Department to conduct a detailed survey of the area.
Following 15 days of intensive groundwork and survey, the department submitted its report to the lieutenant governor on August 30, suggesting construction of an 11 km RCC channel. However, considering the ecological concerns, Saxena suggested avoiding construction of any new RCC water channel in the area and bringing water to the first depression only through a simple earthen channel, the spokesperson said.
Keeping in view the winter season ahead, when the water freezes, the work began on a war footing from September 2 to bring water from Rupsho Kharnak stream to the first large pond.
The revival of Tso Kar is expected to benefit local communities, the official said, adding that most villagers near the lake are Pashmina goat herders, and with the lake shrinking, the grazing grounds for the Pashmina goats have also vanished. This has forced Pashmina herders to shift 50 to 75 kms away from their homes in search of grazing lands.
The revival of the lake will create grasslands, livelihood opportunities for locals and bring even herders back to their homes, the spokesperson said.
He informed that the Tso Kar, one of the most iconic glacial lakes in Ladakh, originally spread over nearly 11,000 acres, has now reduced to just 3200 acres. Consequently, the lake, once a thriving habitat of migratory birds and the famed Black-Necked Crane, is also rapidly vanishing, with only a small number of birds arriving at the site now.
By fully utilising the available water, the lake is expected to be restored to its original glory within a year, the spokesperson said.
He mentioned that the plan utilises three natural depressions along the stream’s downward flow from the glacier towards the lake. Glacial runoff from the Rupsho Kharnak stream is being channelised into the first depression, spread over 270 acres, before being transferred to the second depression of 24 acres and subsequently to the third, spread over 10 acres.
In each of the three depressions, a check dam with three RCC pipes will be constructed at the outlet to augment the water level and to control the flow downstream.
Finally, the water from the third depression will be regulated to flow directly into the Tso Kar Lake, located just 400 metres from the third depression.
The water will be diverted utilising gravity flow through simple, low-cost earthworks, without constructing any concrete channels, the official said.
Starting September 9, 20 cusecs of water from the Rupsho Kharnak glacier stream is being successfully diverted to the first depression, which has already started filling fast. The water is being channelised from the glacier through the earthen channel as well as a concrete canal lying defunct at the site since 1995, the spokesperson said.
In four days, around 20 per cent of the area of the first depression has already filled, he said, adding that this cascading system would offer dual ecological benefits.
Before the water reaches Tso Kar, the filling of the three natural depressions will create three entirely new, freshwater wetlands and transfer only pure water into the lake, as all sediments will be settled in three newly created water bodies.
These newly created water bodies, measuring 270 acres, 24 acres and 10 acres respectively, will hold nearly 1230 million litres of water, the spokesperson said.
He added that these new water bodies, visible from the adjoining Leh-Manali Highway, will effectively strengthen the region’s ecological character while simultaneously recharging the main lake.
