Ladakh launches first high-altitude lake restoration project at Tsо Kar

Ladakh's administration has launched an ambitious project to revive the disappearing Tsо Kar lake in Changtang district at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The initiative involves diverting water from desert areas to refill the lake bed. If successful, the lake is expected to be fully restored by October 2027.

The lake, once spread across 11,000 acres, has shrunk by 70 percent in the past decade and now covers only 3,200 acres. The shrinkage has forced migratory birds to relocate elsewhere. Ladakh Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena announced the project as India's first high-altitude ecological restoration effort using new glacier water management techniques.

Saxena conceived the idea during his first visit to the lake on August 10, when local residents informed him of the rapid decline and the significant reduction in bird populations.