Ladakh has started using around 90 million litres of glacier water every day to support irrigation and strengthen water security in the region. The initiative is being led by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
According to an official press note, the water earlier flowed unused into the Indus River. Glacier meltwater from Stok village Nallah in Leh is now being diverted into the Igoo-Phey Irrigation Canal. The move will benefit nearly 12 villages and help irrigate more than 1,000 acres of land that earlier remained dry because of inadequate canal supply.
The project relies on simple earthwork to redirect the glacier runoff and does not require capital expenditure. The administration sees it as an important step towards improving farming and creating a greener and more water-secure Ladakh.
Although Ladakh has large amounts of glacier and snowmelt water, many agricultural areas have long suffered from a shortage of irrigation. A large quantity of water has been flowing away unused while farmland has remained dry, affecting rural livelihoods.
During his visits to villages, Saxena identified locations where substantial amounts of glacier water were flowing towards the Indus. He then initiated a broader effort to find ways of using this water for agriculture.
As part of this effort, Stok village Nallah was identified as a suitable point to divert glacier water into the existing irrigation canal. The Nallah receives water from the Stok Kangri Glacier near Leh.
Following Saxena’s directions on August 14, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department diverted excess water from the main channel of the Nallah into the Igoo-Phey Canal. Two trenches were created using a JCB to carry out the diversion.
Officials estimated that the Stok Nallah was carrying around 36.60 cusecs of water downstream towards the Indus. Of this, two diversions now channel an additional 26 cusecs into the Igoo-Phey Canal — 19 cusecs towards Igoo village and seven cusecs towards Phey village. Plans are being prepared to make use of the remaining 10 cusecs.
The 43-km Igoo-Phey Canal was started in 1979 and completed in 2005. Around 200 metres of the canal was built underground so that water from the Stok Nallah could pass over it without affecting the canal.
Despite the availability of water, the potential of the Stok Nallah was not explored for decades. The administration said the canal faced shortages from the beginning and eventually became defunct because of inadequate water supply.
The diversion of around 90 million litres of water a day is expected to significantly increase the flow in the Igoo-Phey Canal. Its supply is likely to rise from around 50 cusecs to nearly 80 cusecs.
Earlier, the limited water supply meant that villages received canal water according to a fixed rotation. With the additional supply, all 12 villages are expected to receive water every day, increasing irrigation coverage across thousands of acres.
The administration expects the improved water supply to increase crop production and farm incomes. It could also create more employment and support the rural economy.
Saxena said the project had demonstrated that large-scale water conservation and diversion could work in Ladakh’s cold desert conditions. He said the administration plans to expand similar low-cost projects across the Union Territory to use glacier water for farming and strengthen long-term climate resilience.
The administration has already identified other streams near the Igoo-Phey Canal system for similar projects. These include Matho Nallah, Tuchik Chenmo Nallah, Tuchik Chon Nallah and Stakna Nallah.
Officials said future projects would follow a low-cost, gravity-based approach with minimum water loss and a focus on environmental sustainability.
The administration said connecting scattered glacier flows with existing irrigation infrastructure could provide more reliable water to farms and expand irrigated areas. Better water availability could raise crop production, improve farmers’ earnings, create employment and give a boost to the rural economy.
Follow us
