The Ladakh administration has launched a project to revive the rapidly shrinking Tso Kar Lake by diverting untapped glacier water from the Rupsho Kharnak stream in the Changthang region.
The project aims to channelise up to 132 cusecs, or about 320 million litres, of glacier water per day into the lake. The water currently flows into the Sindhu River. Tso Kar, once spread across nearly 11,000 acres, has reportedly shrunk to around 3,200 acres over the past decade affecting its wetlands, grazing grounds and migratory bird population.
The Rupsho Kharnak stream is located about 11 km from Tso Kar at an altitude of nearly 18,000 feet. Under the plan, the glacier runoff will pass through three natural depressions covering approximately 270 acres, 24 acres and 10 acres before reaching the lake.
Check dams and pipes will regulate the flow between the depressions while gravity based earthen channels will be used to move the water. The administration has avoided constructing a new concrete channel, citing ecological concerns.
Since September 9 around 20 cusecs of water has been diverted towards the first depression. According to the administration, about 20 per cent of the first depression had filled within four days.
The three depressions are expected to become freshwater wetlands capable of holding nearly 1,230 million litres of water. Besides helping recharge Tso Kar, the wetlands are expected to provide additional habitats for migratory birds and help settle sediment before the water enters the lake.
The project is also intended to support local livelihoods. The shrinking lake has reduced grazing areas used by Pashmina goat herders, forcing some communities to travel 50–75 km in search of pasture. The administration expects the restoration of the lake and surrounding grasslands to improve grazing access and create livelihood opportunities for nearby communities.
The initiative follows an earlier project in which the administration channelised about 90 million litres of Stok Glacier water into canals serving Igoo Phey and Chuchot villages near Leh.
The administration began work on the Tso Kar project after local residents and village representatives reported the lake’s decline. A survey by the Public Health Engineering department had initially proposed an 11-km RCC channel, but officials subsequently opted for simpler earthen channels to minimise construction in the ecologically sensitive high-altitude area.
The administration expects the intervention to substantially restore Tso Kar’s water levels over time while creating additional wetland habitats in the surrounding landscape.