A unique model is being prepared for Ladakh which is not found anywhere in the entire country… Know what is special in this sustainable vision?

The Union Territory of Ladakh is one of the most sensitive and strategic regions of the country from security, environmental and geopolitical point of view. After the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Ladakh was given the status of a separate union territory, after which discussions have been going on at the national level regarding its development and protection of identity. Due to the extreme altitude, bone-chilling temperatures that go up to minus 30 degrees, the challenge of being cut off from the rest of India for several months of the year, and the extremely fragile ecosystem, none of the country’s traditional urban or industrial development models can be applied to Ladakh. That is why the Central Government, the Local Hill Council (LAHDC) and a team of top scientists are together preparing a future-oriented vision and development model for Ladakh, which does not exist in any other state or union territory across India. This model is based on a wonderful combination of nature, technology and local rights.

The biggest and basic USP of Ladakh model is its 100% Carbon Neutral Has to happen. To protect the delicate glaciers of Ladakh from the threat of global warming, work is underway to operate the entire region without any fossil fuels:

• 13 GW Mega Renewable Energy Park: One of the world’s largest solar and wind energy parks is being set up in Pang and the surrounding high desert plateaus. A massive 12 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) is also being integrated with the 13,000 MW capacity park. The project will not only meet the zero-emission power requirement of Ladakh, but will also export clean power to other parts of the country through the ‘Green Energy Corridor’.

• Country’s first green hydrogen mobility project: The country’s first commercial ‘green hydrogen fueling station’ and hydrogen-powered buses have been started in Leh, the capital of Ladakh. Operating in high altitude and low oxygen environment, these buses emit only water vapor instead of smoke, which is the first model of high altitude public transport in the world.

• Geothermal Energy Project of Puga Valley: India’s first pilot geothermal power plant is being developed to generate 24-hour continuous electricity and heating from natural sources of boiling hot water and steam underground in Ladakh’s Puga Valley.

Traditionally in Ladakh, huge amounts of wood, diesel and coal have been burnt to keep rooms warm during winter, which has led to a rapid increase in air pollution and carbon emissions. Under the new model, construction of government offices, schools, hospitals and public buildings across Ladakh is now underway. Passive Solar Housing Technology (Passive Solar Architecture) It is being made mandatory to:

• Locally available soil, straw and stone double walls (Trombe Walls) are used.

• The buildings face south in such a way that they absorb the sunlight throughout the day and even when the temperature is -25°C at night, the temperature of the rooms remains between +15°C to +18°C without any electricity, heater or fuel.

• This technology reduces energy consumption by up to 80% and keeps the local environment completely free from toxic fumes.

In order to strengthen administrative reach in remote areas of Ladakh, the Home Ministry has recently expanded five new districts—Zanskar, Dras, Sham, Nubra and Changthang—has made a historic announcement. The new structure of Ladakh is completely different from the traditional administrative system:

• Hyper-local Governance: Due to the vast terrain and inaccessible passes, people of remote valleys had to travel risky journeys of hundreds of kilometers for small administrative tasks. Governance is being taken directly to the doorsteps of villagers through new districts.

• Empowerment of Hill Development Councils: The financial and administrative powers of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC Leh and Kargil) are being enhanced so that budgetary priorities can be decided by local representatives and not from Delhi or some distant secretariat.

• Guarantee of land and employment security: Work is underway on special constitutional provisions and autonomous committees to provide legal protection to the language, culture, water sources and traditional rights of the local tribal communities, thereby protecting the identity of Ladakh from uncontrolled industrialization.

Learning from the devastation caused by uncontrolled concrete construction and heavy traffic jams in other hill stations of the country (like Shimla or Manali), Ladakh has adopted a ‘high-value, low-impact’ policy for tourism:

• Homestay Revolution and Community Tourism: Instead of accommodating tourists in a chain of huge concrete hotels, eco-friendly ‘village homestays’ run by local Ladakhi families are being encouraged. Due to this, the economic benefits of tourism reach directly into the pockets of local villagers.

• Mission Organic Ladakh: Ladakh is already moving towards becoming a completely 100% organic union territory on the lines of Sikkim. The famous ‘Apricot’ (Raktsey Karpo Apricot) and medicinal fruit ‘Sea-Buckthorn’ (Leh Berry) have got GI Tag. Under the new model, the chemical-free cultivation of these local superfoods is being made an export hub by directly connecting it to international markets.

• Artificial Glacier and Ice Stupa: In this cold desert facing severe water shortage, local innovations like Sonam Wangchuk’s ‘Ice Stupa’ and artificial glaciers have been made an official part of government water management plans, which prove to be a lifeline for crops by melting snow in spring.

The Ladakh model is not limited to the economy only, but it is also the frontline of the country’s national security. The ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ has been placed at the heart of the Ladakh Model to prevent migration from border villages (e.g. Demchok, Chushul, Nyoma) located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC):

• 4G/5G optical fiber connectivity to last mile border villages, all-weather all-weather roads (such as Zojila and Shinkun La Tunnel) and 24-hour solar power are being provided.

• Local youth are being prepared as ‘First Line of Defence’ by connecting them with border security and tracking-guiding.

This innovative development model of Ladakh offers a roadmap for the rest of the country and other sensitive mountain regions of the world, where development does not mean cutting mountains or destroying the environment, but taking advantage of cutting-edge technology in harmony with nature and tradition.