Leh (Ladakh) [India], May 28 (ANI): Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has officially launched the 'Sindhu Jal Samriddhi Abhiyan' with the inauguration of the country's first-ever rock check dam on the Indus River in Leh.

This eco-friendly infrastructure project aims to provide a sustainable and cost-effective solution to long-standing water scarcity challenges faced by local farmers.

In a post on X, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh stated, '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.'

'Unlike the traditional concrete check dams, this innovative Rock Check Dam is a semi-permanent barrier, built by interlocking big rocks, collected from the riverbed. This slows down the flow of the river and creates a huge water pondage area, to be used by farmers for agricultural purposes. The Rock check dam has been designed to withstand water pressure and prevent it from getting washed away when the water level in the river increases during the summer months,' the post added.

The post further stated, 'Have directed the Irrigation & Flood Control Department to construct three more such check dams, on experimental basis. I am confident that this Rock Check Dam would emerge as an imitable model of engineering ingenuity and ecological sensitivity. It will offer a sustainable remedy for farmers' irrigation woes, strengthen water security and support sustainable agriculture in remote villages of Ladakh.'

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, also announced the launch of another project in Leh, which is a major ecological and degraded land restoration drive aiming to reclaim nearly 800 acres of barren land at Spituk Village in Leh.

The initiative utilises simple, cost-effective freshwater engineering by channelising excess water from the recently restored Igoo-Phey Canal to hydrate parched soils, flush out toxic salts, and trigger natural vegetation growth.

Talking to X, LG 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. 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.'

Building upon the success of Project Him Sarovar, this project is designed to recharge groundwater, bind soil, and expand fertile land for sustainable agricultural activities across the region. (ANI)