Archive · 5 Sep 2026
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.
- When
- The articles do not provide a specific inauguration date; the dam has already been inaugurated.
- Where
- At Upshi in Leh, Ladakh, on the Indus River.
- Why
- To address chronic water shortages, support spring sowing, enable gravity irrigation, and improve water security in Ladakh.
- 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.