Zanskar gets local mineral water Plant under ‘Ice Stupa Ladakh’ brand

Himalayan Spring Water can reduce Ladakh’s dependence on outside supplies: Sonam Wangchuk

ZANKSAR: Climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk has inaugurated a mineral water plant in Zanskar that will market Himalayan spring water under the Ice Stupa Ladakh brand, with the venture seeking to promote local employment, reduce dependence on water transported from outside Ladakh and strengthen bottle recycling.

Wangchuk inaugurated the plant as Chief Guest in Zanskar and said the initiative would enable local entrepreneur Lobzang Rinchan to offer spring water sourced from the Himalayan region as an alternative to bottled water transported to Ladakh from Punjab.

The venture is based in Tungri and operates under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL) and Rinchan.

Under the agreement, HIAL has granted Rinchan non-exclusive permission to use the Ice Stupa Ladakh name for his mineral water business. The permission is subject to periodic review and is linked to the environmental responsibility, sustainability and community welfare principles associated with the Ice Stupa initiative.

The agreement also provides for voluntary contributions from the venture’s revenue towards environmental and community programmes. The contribution has been set at zero during the first year, 0.5 per cent of annual revenue in the second year and one per cent from the third year onwards.

The proposed areas of community support include village development, water conservation, waste management, local livelihood generation and environmental restoration.

The sustainability framework also calls for reducing dependence on single-use plastic and encourages the use of glass bottles by nearby institutions and hotels. It proposes water refill stations, bulk distribution models and systems for returning and recycling bottles.

The agreement further encourages the use of energy-efficient equipment and renewable sources such as solar power, while calling for measures to reduce water wastage and prevent contamination of natural water sources.

Local employment, skill development and community participation have also been incorporated into the framework.

The MoU requires the business to comply with applicable Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Indian Standards (ISI) and other regulatory requirements, besides maintaining prescribed standards relating to water quality, hygiene and safety.

The agreement was signed by HIAL Founder-Director Sonam Wangchuk and Lobzang Rinchan. It is initially envisaged for a period of three to five years and provides for periodic review. The MoU states that the understanding is not intended to be legally binding unless otherwise specified.

Wangchuk said the Zanskar venture could demonstrate how environmental concerns, local enterprise and community interests could be brought together through a business model rooted in the region.