CHEWANG NORPHEL : THE ICE MAN OF LADAKH -AN UNSUNG HERO OF MODERN INDIA..... (Thought I should share his heroics) The only source of natural water in Ladakh is glacier water from the mountains. These glaciers melt in summers and as water is a precious and scarce commodity itr is conserved and used by the people all year round. 80% of the farmers depend on snow melts for their livelihoods. But the receding glaciers and dwindling streams of snowmelts spell doom for the populace of Ladakh. The main culprit behind all this is global warming and changing climatic patterns. In the face of such a threat, hope came to the Ladakhi’s in the form of a man and his innovative idea to create artificial glaciers in the otherwise arid desert of Ladakh. Ingenious ideas are often built on the foundations of simplicity. Mr. Chewang Norphel’s idea of creating artificial glaciers certainly falls in this category. Chewang Norphel has been instrumental in bringing water to the otherwise parched, remote regions of Ladakh. Located in the rain shadow area of the Himalayas, Ladakh is a cold mountainous desert where winter temperatures plummet below -30 degree Celsius. The average annual rainfall is scarce at 50 mm, and the dearth of water has been a major scourge to the people living in what is otherwise called the Roof of the World. A civil engineer from Lucknow, Norphel joined the department of Rural Development of Jammu Kashmir in Ladakh in 1960. During his stint in the civil services he built roads, bridges, irrigation systems, Zings (Tanks).And it was during this time he realized how crucial water was to the lives of the natives of Ladakh and the idea of Artificial Glaciers started taking shape in his mind. Chewang pioneered the first artificial glacier in 1987 in Phuktse Phu Village. As a result of his efforts the agriculture production increased, thereby increasing the incomes of the locals. In 1996 Chewang joined the Leh Nutritional Institute as a project manager for watershed development. And that is from where his actual journey of building artificial glaciers began. During his days in the department of rural development, Chewang had noticed how water froze in thin iron pipes. And this simple observation sparked the idea of building artificial dams. His technique is simple as well as economical and easily replicable by people living in other areas under similar conditions. The method involves channeling glacier water to the shadow area of a mountain, away from sunlight. Then half inch wide iron pipes are placed perpendicular to the edge of the depression where this water collects. On seeping into the thin iron pipes, the water freezes. As more water seeps in, the frozen blocks are pushed out. This cycle continues and on the other side a neat, artificial glacier emerges. His simple technique has been a blessing to the people and the ecology of Ladakh. It has given a much needed boost to agriculture in the region. Earlier due to shortfall of water the farmers were forced to migrate to cities and look for alternative employment. As the natural glaciers were far from the inhabited areas and melted slowly in summers, it took quite some time for the water to reach the villages. Norphel’s efforts have bought water closer to the villages. These will also help recharge the ground water besides rejuvenating spring water. Norphel feels that artificial glaciers are better alternatives to dams. Dams are environmental and social problems as well as drain financial resources. His artificial glaciers on the other hand are created at the fraction of the cost of building a dam. His idea and its implementation have greatly benefited Ladakh and Norphel has received many citations and felicitations for his pioneering work in this field. His idea has been praised the world over. It certainly shows man’s capacity to innovate and adapt in the harshest of conditions and emerge victorious.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:34:00 +0000
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