Leh (Ladakh) [India], June 21 (ANI): Marking 100 days in office as the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday reviewed the progress of key ecological and infrastructure projects aimed at promoting sustainable development in the Union Territory.
Speaking to ANI, Saxena thanked the people of Ladakh for their support and highlighted the administration’s efforts in water conservation, environmental protection and land restoration.
“I express gratitude to the people of Ladakh for their support during this 100-day tenure, which has facilitated significant development projects. The construction of four ponds initiated on April 10 has progressed, with one pond now getting operational today, irrigating around 200 acres,” he said.
The Lieutenant Governor said the remaining three ponds are expected to be completed within a month, which would help bring more barren land under cultivation.
“The completion of the remaining three ponds within a month is expected to make an additional 800 acres of barren land fertile. Efforts are also focused on addressing Ladakh’s water scarcity and lack of greenery, aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision to develop Ladakh,” Saxena said.
Highlighting the administration’s environmental initiatives, he said more than 35,000 local plant species have been planted under the ‘Green Ladakh’ campaign.
“Over 35,000 local plant species have been planted as part of the ‘Green Ladakh’, aiming to increase the region’s green cover from less than 1 per cent to 5 per cent. Campaigns are ongoing in villages and cities to promote tree planting to improve oxygen levels and overall greenery. Additionally, new schemes and relaxed policies have been introduced to boost Ladakh’s tourism, making it a top global destination,” he added.
Earlier in May, Saxena announced the launch of a major ecological restoration initiative aimed at reclaiming nearly 800 acres of degraded and barren land in Spituk village near Leh.
The project involves channelising excess water from the recently restored Igoo-Phey Canal to revive dry land through a low-cost freshwater engineering model.
In a post on X, Saxena said, “Glad to share the launch of an ambitious ecological and degraded land restoration drive in Ladakh, aimed at restoring nearly 800 acres of degraded and barren land at Spituk Village in Leh, using a simple & cost-effective freshwater engineering.”
He added that the land, which had remained barren for hundreds of years, would be rejuvenated through freshwater discharge that would hydrate the soil, remove toxic salts and support natural vegetation growth. “The land, lying barren for hundreds of years, is being watered by channelising the excess water from the recently restored Igoo-Phey Canal, using simple machinery. Freshwater discharge would eventually hydrate the parched soils, flush out toxic salts, and trigger the natural vegetation growth, transforming wastelands into fertile, moisture-retaining ecosystems.”
Meanwhile, Ladakh is also preparing for a major energy transition with the commencement of its first commercial geothermal energy exploration project, which is expected to provide a sustainable alternative source of energy for the region. (ANI)
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