Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, attended the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and highlighted key developmental initiatives being undertaken in the Union Territory.
Addressing the meeting, Saxena said Ladakh has witnessed accelerated development since becoming a Union Territory in 2019, recording significant progress in infrastructure, tourism, education, renewable energy, water security, agriculture and governance.
Emphasising water security as a major priority, he highlighted the launch of Project Him Sarovar, under which small reservoirs are being developed in 50 villages to harvest snowmelt and glacial meltwater. Five reservoirs have already been completed, while 100 such water bodies are targeted by next year.
The Lieutenant Governor also showcased the innovative Rock Check Dam initiative, which uses locally available riverbed stones to create eco-friendly water-retention structures without cement, concrete or steel. The first such project at Upshi has created a storage capacity of more than 40 million litres of water.
Tourism, he said, remains the backbone of Ladakh’s economy. He highlighted the successful exhibition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which attracted more than 1.18 lakh visitors, and noted the growing popularity of astro-tourism through India’s first Dark Sky Sanctuary at Hanle.
Saxena also referred to the promotion of sports tourism through the Ladakh Sports Policy 2025, Khelo India Winter Games and modern ice hockey infrastructure.
On economic empowerment, he said an agreement with the Lulu Group for exporting 1,000 metric tonnes of apricots has opened new market opportunities for farmers. He also highlighted the increase in milk procurement at the Oma Dairy Plant and the establishment of a Pashmina Board to promote authentic Ladakhi Pashmina.
Highlighting environmental initiatives, he referred to the Indus River Green Corridor project and reiterated the administration’s target of increasing Ladakh’s forest cover from less than one per cent to five per cent over the next two years.
The Lieutenant Governor also informed the Council that work has begun on developing Chumur as Ladakh’s first Model Border Village under the Vibrant Village Programme and highlighted preparations for Ladakh’s first comprehensive Master Plan to ensure sustainable urban development.
