LG Saxena’s water conservation push bears fruit as four “Him Sarovar Ponds” fill at Spituk

LEH: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena has announced the completion and operationalisation of all four large ponds constructed under Project Him Sarovar at Spituk Farka in Leh, with the reservoirs collectively storing nearly 24 million litres of glacier meltwater.

Sharing the development, the LG said the four ponds were constructed and brought into operation in a record period of five months. Construction commenced on April 10, 2026, while the fourth and final pond was recharged and operationalised on September 9.

The ponds were completed and filled in phases, with Pond No. 1 inaugurated on June 21, Pond No. 2 filled on July 19, Pond No. 3 on August 24 and Pond No. 4 on September 9.

Each pond measures 60 metres × 40 metres × 2 metres and has a designed storage capacity of approximately 60 lakh litres. Together, the four reservoirs are expected to conserve around 2.4 crore litres of precious glacier meltwater and support the creation of a new command area of nearly 1,000 acres, according to the LG.

A key feature of the project is the direct replenishment of the reservoirs through glacier meltwater from the Stok glacier stream. Seasonal flows from the stream, which previously went largely unutilised, have been diverted into the Igoo-Phey Canal, enabling the water to be channelled into the newly created reservoirs.

The water conservation initiative is aimed at ensuring greater availability of water for irrigation while also supporting ecological restoration and strengthening long-term water security in the high-altitude cold desert region.

The LG described the completion of the project as a significant step towards strengthening environmental resilience and agricultural revival in Ladakh, underlining the administration’s focus on conserving scarce water resources and improving sustainable water management. The operationalisation of the four ponds comes at a time when water conservation remains a critical challenge for Ladakh, where agriculture and local ecosystems depend heavily on limited seasonal water flows and glacier melt.