Snow Water Harvesting in the Cold Desert in Ladakh: An Introduction to Artificial Glacier

Abstract

Living close to nature, Ladakhi’s have maintained a harmonious balance with their surrounding. High aridity and low temperature lead to sparse vegetation. Ladakhi farmers have always been dependent on snow and glacier melt water, but the climate change experienced in the last four decades poses a threat for the future. There are different engineering solutions as integral part of water shed management: diversion canal, water reservoir, gravity canal, lift irrigation scheme, and snow harvesting. Only 10–15 % of Ladakhi agriculture benefits from the Indus and Shayok, while the remaining is entirely dependent on snowmelt streams and traditional water management systems of the watershed areas in the cold desert of Ladakh. The system of water distribution during the farming season is strictly followed by the people in their respective villages. Artificial glacier technique is used in the area from 1987. The main stream water is diverted by constructing a long channel made of dry stonewall across the hill slopes to the glacier site. The length, breadth and depth of the channel vary with the slope of the hill as well as an estimated flow of the stream. Dry stone retaining walls and a suitable bed grade to smoothen the follow of water protect the channel from damage. The stone wall is made of locally available stone and a mix of organic manure and soft soil. The technology of the artificial glacier has been in operation in the area for 15 years and is performing successfully.