For water conservation, Ladakh to hold ice stupa competition

Our Correspondent

Leh, January 30

An ice stupa building competition is being held in Ladakh for the second consecutive year. Ice stupas are a unique way of conserving natural water. The number of ice stupas will be higher this year then the last year.

Around 25 ice stupas are being built this year in various villages. Last year, only 12 ice stupas were built.

With no farming activities in the winter in Ladakh, the water remains unutilised. When the farmers need water in the sowing season in the spring, the region faces a water crisis as the discharge from glaciers remains low.

The competition, which is being organised by the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh, is held at this time of the winter when the climatic conditions are harsh. The participants take the advantage of the prevailing sub-zero temperature in the region for natural formation of ice and conserve the running water of village streams which remains mostly unutilised in the extreme cold except for drinking and washing.

The natural formation of ice with the help of gravitational forces is a prototype of the Buddhist stupa. This new concept of making artificial glaciers was introduced in Ladakh by environmentalist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Sonam Wangchuk.

Competition coordinator Deskit Angmo said: “The competition is being held to promote better impact at the village level and scale up the ice stupa method of water resource management of the villages.”

She said the number of participants was increasing. “We have received a large number of applications, but due to the shortage of material caused by untimely closure of roads, only a few of them can participate,” Angmo said.

She said: “Twelve ice stupas were built during the competition last year, but this year, 25 stupas are being built. At Ganglas village near Leh town, 10 ice stupas are being built with two main objectives: Of participation in the competition and to organise an ice climbing festival to generate income for the participants.”

The ice stupa building was started in 2013 by Sonam Wangchuk at Phyang village so as to promote it in every village of Ladakh which faces severe water crisis. The competition among the interested villagers is being held since 2019.

The building of ice stupas started in mid-December last year and will end in the last week of March. The participants had to undergo a day-long workshop to familiarise themselves with the techniques of building ice stupas.