1 week ago
India Builds First Rock Dam On Indus Amid Treaty Abeyance
India built a small dam made from large rocks on the Indus River in Ladakh.
It is at a place called Upshi near Leh.
The dam slows the river and raises its water level by almost 10 feet.
It can hold nearly 40 million litres of water.
Farmers can now move this water through a canal to fields that often became dry.
Gravity helps carry the water, so farmers do not need diesel pumps as much.
Ladakh officials describe the project as a low-cost and sustainable way to improve farming.
The project also shows that India wants to use more Indus water in its own border areas while the Indus Waters Treaty is in abeyance.
India has built its first rock check dam across the Indus River at Upshi in Leh, Ladakh.
The cement-free structure uses interlocked natural boulders collected from the riverbed.
The dam has raised the river level by almost 10 feet and stores nearly 40 million litres of water.
Stored water now supports gravity irrigation through the Igoo Phey irrigation canal, aiding farmers during spring sowing.
The Ladakh administration says similar structures are under construction or planned along the Indus, following the treaty’s abeyance.
- Who
- The Ladakh administration, including Ladakh Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, and farmers around Upshi.
- What
- India built its first rock check dam across the Indus River to store water and support irrigation.
- Where
- At Upshi in Leh, Ladakh, on the Indus River.
- When
- The articles do not provide a specific inauguration date; the dam has already been inaugurated.
- Why
- To address chronic water shortages, support spring sowing, enable gravity irrigation, and improve water security in Ladakh.
Key facts
- Structure
- A semi-permanent barrier made by interlocking large natural rocks, without cement.
- Location
- Upshi, Leh, Ladakh.
- Water-level increase
- Almost 10 feet.
- Storage capacity
- Nearly 40 million litres.
- Irrigation channel
- Igoo Phey irrigation canal.
- Programme
- Sindhu Jal Samriddhi Abhiyan.
- Expansion
- Similar structures are under construction at some sites and more are planned along the Indus.
Quotes
VK Saxena
Ladakh lieutenant governor who announced the dam’s inauguration
“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.”
republicworld.com
Sources
Related news
Ladakh Diverts Glacier Water to Revive 1,000 Acres
India Keeps Indus Treaty Suspended as Pakistan Warns Region
Ladakh Diverts Glacier Water to Revive 1,000 Acres
India’s River-Linking Ambitions Face Engineering and Ecological Challenges
Ladakh Channels Glacier Water to Revive Shrinking Tso Kar Lake
Hague Court Says India Must Uphold Indus Waters Treaty
Kashmir Mosques Expand Focus to Addiction, Suicide and Environment
IMD Forecasts Heavy Rain Across India Over Next Seven Days
Omar Abdullah Urges Ladakh to Get Centre’s Promises in Writing
Ladakh Ponds Filled With Glacier Meltwater in Five Months
Royal Enfield Himalayan 750 Exhaust Note Offers New Clues
