Sankoo Becomes Ladakh's Eighth District
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced on Friday that Sankoo, a region in the Suru Valley, will become the Union Territory's eighth district. The decision addresses a long-standing demand from residents and aims to decentralise administration and improve access to government services in the remote area. Saxena made the announcement during a visit to Sankoo, where he assured that administrative arrangements and officer postings would be completed promptly to operationalise the new district.
The creation of Sankoo district comes less than six months after Ladakh announced five new districts in April 2026—Changthang, Drass, Nubra, Sham and Zanskar. Since becoming a Union Territory in 2019, Ladakh had only two districts: Leh and Kargil. With Sankoo's addition, the total now stands at eight. Saxena credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the decision, stating he had discussed the demand with local leaders and secured Shah's clearance following discussions.
Sankoo, located approximately 42 km south of Kargil town at an altitude of about 3,150 metres, is situated in a bowl-shaped valley in the Suru Valley. Known for its relatively green landscape and agricultural fields, it is among Ladakh's more fertile regions. The administration also announced five new tehsils across Ladakh and a Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council for Sankoo to further decentralise governance.
