Environmental issues plague Ladakh: LG

Leh, Nov 20: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor (LG) R K Mathur on Thursday said the Union Territory is facing various environmental issues and the need for an impact assessment has come up time and again for serious consideration.

The LG said the Union Territory administration has set a target to provide 24x7 running water supply to every household, school, office, anganwadi centre in Ladakh by 2022.

Mathur e-inaugurated a washing facility for sanitation workers and released a white paper on grey water on the "World Toilet Day" here.

On the occasion, a daylong conference on innovative urban sanitation for Ladakh was organised by the housing and urban development department.

Addressing the gathering, Mathur said since Ladakh became a Union Territory, the need for an impact assessment of various environmental issues has come up time and again for serious consideration.

"Today's conference is the acknowledgement of these issues and an effort on the part of the Union Territory administration to look for solutions," he said.

The LG informed that under the Jal Shakti Mission, the Ladakh administration is targeting to provide 24x7 running water supply to every household, school, office, anganwadi centre in the Union Territory by 2022.

This, he said, would be a big promoter in achieving sanitation targets.

The LG stressed on the need to initiate a large number of pilot projects to chalk out the most feasible solutions for faecal sludge management, grey water treatment, toilet technologies and the maximum utilisation of local resources, including all kinds of organic waste for organic manure etc.

He urged both the hill councils to actively get involved in the process and lead the implementation of various projects.

Mathur emphasised on the need to adopt different technologies, specific action plans, clear targets and set time-frames to ensure clean water and sanitation for all, which is envisaged in the sustainable development goal.

He appealed to everyone, including residents, schools, the Army, tourists, sanitation workers and the government, to come together to achieve the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development for Ladakh.