Thanks to the melting of glaciers in Ladakh, about 90 million liters of water flowing from the glaciers will now be directed to agricultural lands. Water coming from a stream in the village of Stok in Leh was channeled into an irrigation canal 43 kilometers long. This will provide water to over 12 villages and more than 1000 acres of land that previously suffered from water shortages.
Previously, this glacial water was unused and simply flowed into the Indus River. Now, by creating small channels, this water is being diverted to the main canal. These channels were built on August 14th. Following this, the water flow in the canal increased from 1115 liters per second to 2123 liters per second or even more.
The increase in water volume in the canal will benefit farmers in approximately 12 villages. More than 1000 acres of land will be able to receive irrigation much more easily than before. The water will reach fields where farming was difficult due to lack of moisture.
Before this, due to low water levels in the canal, farmers received water irregularly and had to wait their turn. Now, the increase in water volume in the canal will help reduce this problem.
The water flowing from the stream in the village of Stok comes from glacier melt. According to officials, about 90 million liters of water enter daily. Previously, this water simply went into natural runoff. Now it is being directed into the irrigation canal, which has increased the amount of water available for agricultural needs. Ladakh is experiencing a decrease in precipitation and maintains a rather cold climate, making water supply for farming a serious challenge.
The Ladakh administration plans to apply a similar approach to utilize glacial water in other areas. This is part of the actions of Deputy Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena, who called this initiative a way to conserve water and stimulate agriculture. The administration is preparing to use water that currently flows through other streams for irrigation purposes, which will allow the water to be delivered even further.
Water scarcity for agriculture is a serious problem in Ladakh. Thus, delivering water directly from glaciers to fields can alleviate the situation for farmers, and water that previously flowed aimlessly can now be used in agriculture.