SRINAGAR: To revive the rapidly shrinking Tso Kar glacial lake, Ladakh administration has launched a project to divert an average of 132 cusecs (around 320 million litres) of untapped glacier water daily from Rupsho Kharnak stream in Changthang district to the lake. Officials expect the lake will be restored to its former glory within a year, calling it the first project of its scale in India to revive a high-altitude lake under such harsh climatic conditions.Situated at an altitude of nearly 15,000ft, the lake has lost nearly 70% of its water over the past decade, shrinking from around 11,000 acres to just 3,200 acres. Once a thriving habitat for migratory birds, including the black-necked crane, it now attracts far fewer birds.The project follows the successful diversion of 90 million litres of Stok glacier water into irrigation canals in Igoo-Phey and Chuchot villages near Leh. The administration described it as the region’s second major water-management initiative of its kind.The revival was conceived after Lt Governor VK Saxena visited Tso Kar on Aug 10. Villagers told him the lake once supported centuries-old salt trade and maintained a delicate ecological balance, but its decline had resulted in loss of grazing land and shrinking bird populations.Saxena directed the public health engineering department to survey the area. Its report, submitted on Aug 30 after 15 days of groundwork, proposed an 11km RCC channel. Saxena, however, ruled out a new RCC structure and suggested first diverting the water to a depression through a simple earthen channel. Work began on Sept 2, ahead of the winter freeze.
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Rupsho Kharnak stream, located about 11km from Tso Kar at an altitude of 18,000ft, has a peak summer discharge of around 132 cusecs. So far, 20 cusecs is being diverted to the first depression, which has filled by about 20% in four days using an earthen channel and a defunct concrete canal built in 1995.Before reaching Tso Kar, water will fill three natural depressions, creating freshwater wetlands of 270, 24 and 10 acres with a combined capacity of nearly 1,230 million litres. The wetlands will allow sediments to settle, ensuring cleaner water reaches the lake, while also creating new habitats for migratory birds and potential tourist attractions visible from Leh-Manali highway.
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