LEH, Mar 1: Ladakh’s fragile ecosystem is at the verge of facing an unprecedented water crisis with the region’s agricultural lifeline heavily reliant on glacier meltwater. Over the past two decades, the alarming decrease in snowfall and the rapid retreat of glaciers have become a major cause of concern.
According to Sonam Lotus, Director of the Meteorological Department Ladakh, snowfall in January and February this year in Leh was recorded at just 0.5 cm each month. In stark contrast, January 2023 saw 4.9 cm of snowfall, while February 2023 recorded 8.0 cm. The situation in Kargil is similarly dire.
The receding of glaciers is not a slow story unfolding over centuries—it’s a crisis that has intensified in the few two decades. Ladakh has witnessed the complete disappearance of significant glaciers within a single generation. The once-massive glacier along the Khardungla old silk route has now entirely vanished. A photograph taken in September 2004 captures the glacier’s presence while another from September 2024 shows a barren landscape in its place. Until the early 1990s, a metal bridge was there over a huge glacier on the Khardungla road to Nubra. The glacier has disappeared a decade ago, and today it’s hard to imagine a glacier and a bridge over it ever existed.
In response to water scarcity, innovative solutions like artificial glaciers and ice stupas have emerged, providing much-needed water for farmers during the crucial spring season when agricultural activities begin. Ladakh’s increasing popularity as a tourist destination further exacerbates water conservation issues.
Traditionally, Ladakh was known for its careful and efficient use of water through a system called ‘chures,’ which allocated water turn by turn to farmers. Household water consumption was minimal due to the use of traditional dry toilets. However, with the rise of flush toilets and the unregulated influx of thousands of labourers and hundreds of thousands of tourists each summer, the demand for water has surged dramatically.
The drying up of water sources, driven by receding glaciers and declining snowfall, is compounding the crisis. Experts said that heavy snowfall would help recharge springs and glaciers but such events have become increasingly rare. In and around Leh, the widespread digging of borewells by households and hotels is further depleting already scarce groundwater resources.
There are also stories of families from Kulum village in Leh and Komik in Zanskar relocating to other places due to acute water shortages in their villages. Climate change and rapid urbanization continue to accelerate this crisis, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable water management practices in the region.
