Ladakh's microgrids, running on diesel and dwindling hydropower, need solar safety net

Melting ice, failing micro-hydro projects and fragile solar systems are pushing Zanskar into deeper energy vulnerability.Leh, Ladakh:  As you climb the slope towards upper Kumik, the oldest village in Zanskar Valley of Ladakh, about 250 kilometres from Kargil, a low stone wall runs along the path for nearly three kilometres. Legend says it was built overnight, centuries ago, by a protective bear spirit who guarded homes and fields.“Elders say we had plenty of water and food, until the bear spirit turned against us,” said Kharfa Largyal, a man in his 20s from Kumik. Residents now use the story to make sense of the changes around them — a glacier slowly pulling back and a stream that no longer reaches their homes, both signs of the effect of climate change.In Kumik, the meltwater from the Sheila Kumik glacier, once the village’s lifeline, has shifted to the other side of the ridge. As the flow dried up, many families moved downhill towards more reliable water.Yet Stanzin Yangzing (85) still lives in upper Kumik with her niece. One morning in mid-October when this reporter met Yangzing, she knelt beside her traditional stove, feeding twigs into a small fire to brew tea and warm the room. Sunlight lit up Zanskar’s peaks outside and inside, smoke clung to the timber walls. By then, daytime temperatures had dropped to minus 3°C and nights to minus 7°C.“I’ve been doing this since childhood,” she said, pushing in more firewood as a harsh cough escaped.A diesel generator station in Zanskar valley in Ladakh serves as the primary source of electricity for local households during winters (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)Power adds another layer of difficulty. Electricity in Zanskar remains unreliable, powered by diesel generators and a handful of mini-hydel plants. Demand has grown as households adopt more electric appliances, but hydropower works only in summer. In winter, when temperatures fall to minus 30°C, roads shut, canals freeze and power lines fall silent, residents fall back on firewood and three to four hours of electricity, barely enough to keep one bulb on.Two mini-hydel projects serve Zanskar: Haftal Sani and Raru. Haftal Sani has been under renovation since 2022 following mudslides and leakages in its canal, leaving the region dependent almost entirely on Raru. A few villages have installed solar lights with battery backups, but most still rely on the micro-hydel plant; when streams freeze, they turn to diesel.In Ladakh, the Power Development Department operates around 55 diesel generators producing about 8.23 million units of electricity annually. Eight of these are stationed in Zanskar.A narrow mud road carved through the mountains marks the tough and isolated route in Zanskar (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)The melting powerAs of now, eight micro-hydropower projects in Ladakh are managed by the Power Development Corporation, Ladakh. Four are operational, the rest under renovation or defunct Only half are operational, others remain defunct or under repair. The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation runs two major hydro projects, 45 MW in Leh and 44 MW in Kargil.Ladakh’s summer demand is about 45 MW, while winter demand touches 80 MW. In summer, hydropower peaks and much of the surplus is exported outside Ladakh. But in winter, when rivers freeze, production drops to 15 MW, forcing the region to depend on the Northern Grid via the 220 KV Srinagar–Leh line.“In future, we’re not planning more micro-hydro projects because climate change has reduced water flow to canals,” said Sajad Kacho, Assistant Executive Engineer at the Power Development Corporation (PDC) in Kargil. “Flash floods have damaged several micro-hydro structures. The focus is shifting to larger hydro plants on the Suru and Indus rivers.”According to the World Small Hydropower Development Report 2022 by the International Centre on Small Hydropower (ICSHP), small hydropower projects depend heavily on consistent runoff, and even slight changes in river flow can significantly affect electricity generation. Despite this vulnerability, the report notes that existing small hydropower systems worldwide help reduce around 248 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year, highlighting their climate value when supported by stable water sources. These winter shortages affect not just households but also local businesses.Padum has seen a rise in guesthouses catering to tourists, but owners say they are limited by electricity constraints. Abdul Aziz, who runs one such guesthouse, is waiting for the 220 KV transmission line from Drass, nearly 300 kilometres away.“It is difficult to have a long tourist season,” he says. “Winter starts in September. Tourists want warm water and heaters, but we don’t have enough voltage from diesel or hydro. Electricity means lighting one bulb only.”Officials say this gap between growing demand and limited winter supply has shaped planning decisions.Another PDC official adds that once Ladakh received the 220 KV line, budget approvals for mini-hydro became difficult. “We proposed new micro-hydro projects, but Delhi asked why we need them when we have grid connectivity,” he says. This leaves villages dependent on seasonal infrastructure.A road in Pibiting village in Zanskar (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)Gaps remainTo fill the growing energy gap, Kargil Renewable Energy Development Agency (KREDA), set up under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has pushed small-scale solar solutions. In 2010, it began installing micro-hydro and solar-based systems in remote villages.In Latoo village along the Line of Control, a solar water-lifting pump changed lives.“We had enough water once,” says Talib Hussain. “But with declining springs and canals, it became a drought. Our apricot and almond orchards dried up. Then in 2021, the solar water pump came, and we could irrigate again.”But the pump has its limits. “When the motor or pipes fail, it takes two weeks for a technician to reach us,” Hussain says. “During that gap, orchards suffer.”KREDA has installed around 28 solar water-lifting pumps in Kargil, but demand is rising as glacial meltwater stops reaching irrigation canals. Over 70 villages have requested pumps to tackle drought-like conditions.A PGCIL transmission tower in Rangdom, stands bare without power lines, as Zanskar residents await the long-promised electricity relief for their long harsh winters (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)Ladakh is also emerging on the national renewable energy map with 13 GW of proposed solar and wind capacity under the Green Energy Corridor-II. But villages say they have long relied on solar at a local scale.In Rangdum, a 26-year-old tea stall owner, Shafee, says: “Our village gets electricity from a community off-grid solar plant.”But in Kumik, a 57 KW off-grid plant lies defunct after snowfall damaged its panels. “It worked only for two years,” says Tresing Motup, a lineman. “It was damaged in April 2025. We’re about to issue a tender for repairs,” confirms KREDA project director Kacho Ahmad Khan.Rooftop solar systems face similar challenges. Although subsidies under PM Surya Muft Bijli Yojna and Ladakh’s own scheme encourage adoption, heavy snowfall damages poles, wires and connections.“People prefer off-grid battery systems that don’t rely on long transmission lines,” says Wahab Ali, Executive Engineer, PDC Kargil. “We’ve installed rooftop panels in 60 houses; 300 more have registered.”A report by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) notes that rooftop solar systems can significantly strengthen household-level access to clean energy. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), 17.02 GW of rooftop solar capacity has been installed across India as of 2025, contributing substantially to the country’s energy transition. In 2024, the Ladakh Union Territory administration also rolled out an additional subsidy for 1 kW and 2 kW rooftop systems under the PM Surya Muft Bijli Yojana to boost adoption in the region.Punchok Tashi, Executive Councillor at Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil- LAHDCK, says policies often fail because administrators are outsiders. “Officials from other states don’t understand Ladakh’s terrain and climate,” he says. “Hill Council members earlier ensured decisions suited local conditions.”A woman in Zanskar region of Ladakh carrying a basket filled with top soil (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)SolutionsKREDA has repeatedly told the UT administration that the current maintenance fee of Rs 60-100 per household is inadequate. The agency must pay for skilled workers, transport to remote sites and long-distance logistics. “Population is low and scattered. Collecting tiny amounts doesn’t even cover fuel,” says project director Ali.“The only solution is a separate operations and maintenance budget for these projects whether solar or micro-hydro,” he says.India’s broader push for renewable energy, 484.82 GW of installed capacity, with 242.78 GW from non-fossil sources, has not solved the reliability problem in the Himalayas.Energy expert Soumya Dutta argued that depending on long-distance grid connections is risky.“Landslides, heavy rain, or weather events anywhere along a 1,000-kilometre chain can cut off electricity,” he said. “Decentralised micro-hydro and off-grid solar reduce that vulnerability.”Debajit Palit from the Centre for Chintan Research Foundation agreed that generating electricity locally ensures energy security. “Smart hybrid grids can switch from on-grid to off-grid mode during storms,” he says. “And surplus power can be sold, giving revenue to locals.”But former ambassador and Ladakh author P Stobdan argued that Ladakh must adapt to India’s emerging energy systems. “Ladakhis contribute little to national GDP,” he says. “Large renewable projects can make Ladakh a revenue-generating region. Much of Ladakh is unpopulated and suitable for these projects.”In Kumik, the stone wall built by the bear spirit still stands though its protection feels increasingly symbolic. The glaciers retreat a little more each year. Streams disappear. Summers bring hope; winters bring darkness.Next morning, Stanzin lights her stove. Kharfa tends to his thinning fields. Life continues despite the uncertainty.  And across Zanskar, villagers hope the mountains will someday forgive them, and the bear spirit will guard their homes again.This work is supported by the Just Transition Research Centre-JTRC fellowship offered by IIT Kanpur, Climate Trends and Earth Journalism Network. Cover photo - Stanzing Yanzing and her niece prepare a meal on their traditional stove in upper Kumik, where water shortages have pushed many households to migrate (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)

Ladakh’s melting glaciers and dry streams are triggering a women’s health crisis

Nomadic women struggle to maintain hygiene as rising heat and failing water systems affect daily life.Leh, Jammu and Kashmir: In Tangste village of Leh, health worker Noor Jahan gathered ASHA colleagues for an awareness camp. It was their last chance before nomadic families began migrating across the Changthang plateau. Each spring, she said, women leave without access to doctors or clean water. By summer, many return with the same complaints: itching, infections, and burning sensations in their genital area. “These women often come with complaints of vaginal itching and abnormal discharge,” said Community Health Officer Dinchin Dolkar, who has seen such cases repeatedly among nomadic women. “A few days ago, two women were referred to Leh. At private clinics, they were diagnosed with yeast and urinary tract infections and prescribed antibiotics.”Dr. Padma screening women during an outreach program (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)For Dolkar, treatment rarely breaks the cycle. “The infections keep returning,” she said. “It’s linked to unhygienic conditions and the lack of clean water during migration.”Life in these windswept highlands is harsh. With little water and no nearby medical centres, women remain trapped in recurring reproductive health problems.“Most women are given antibiotics,” said Dr Padma Dolma, a gynaecologist at Leh’s Sonam Norboo Hospital. “Specific infections are hard to detect because there are no laboratories or microbiologists outside Leh. Our nurses use VIA screening — a visual inspection with acetic acid to spot abnormal bacterial growth — and refer women with symptoms to the district hospital. Many are given Metronidazole or Doxycycline.”For Ladakh’s nomadic women, these infections are not just medical issues but symptoms of a drying climate.Living in heat and scarcityIn the vast, mountainous landscape of Ladakh, herds of pashmina goats move slowly across the slopes like a line of ants. For Kunzes Dolma (45), each day begins with a trek to graze them, a task she cannot avoid.Kunzes Dolma along with other nomadic women (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)“It’s too hot during the day to take the herds out. I sweat a lot and get headaches by evening,” she said. It was July, when temperatures in Leh hovered around 35 degrees Celsius.Dolma carries water, but it’s rarely enough. “These routes used to be lined with glaciers, and even the springs were full,” she recalled. “Now, in many places, we can’t find a drop of water.”With less water and constant sweating, maintaining hygiene becomes difficult. Dolma was treated for a yeast infection at a local health camp and given pessaries for five days. “Some grazing paths in Rupshu valley still have rivers flowing,” she said. “But uphill, water is very scarce.”In Igoo village of Leh, Stanzin Angmo (55) spends her mornings ensuring the little water available reaches her fields. Many men have migrated to Leh city for work after crops like wheat and barley became hard to grow. With help from a local NGO, an artificial glacier was created in Igoo to irrigate fields during sowing season. “We had good harvests in 2023 and 2024,” she said, “But this year, it’s too hot. The small streams we used to drink from are full of plastic and fertilizers.”An underground tap in Ladakh designed for drinking water built below the surface so it doesn’t freeze in sub-zero temperatures (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)Even at home, she added, the Jal Jeevan Mission supply is erratic. “In summer, we get water two or three days a week for a couple of hours. They say there’s a technical fault or the staff is on leave. We store what we can, but it’s never enough for bathing or washing.” During winter, frozen pipes cut supply for weeks.According to Sonum Lotus, Director of the Meteorological Department, the Himalayas are warming steadily. “July and August now touch 34-35 degrees Celsius,” he said. Thin air and low humidity intensify the heat and accelerate glacier melt. “The meltwater quickly drains into the Indus system, leaving Ladakh itself dry.”A 2025 United Nations report confirms this local reality: between 2011 and 2020, the Hind-Kush Himalayas, which include Ladakh, lost about 65% of their glaciers, threatening the region’s food, water, and health security.A 2019 study, by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development found that global warming is reshaping these glacier-covered peaks. If current emissions continue, the study warns, the Himalayas could warm by five degrees, and two-thirds of their glaciers could vanish by 2100.Fragile systemsFor nomadic tribes of Changthang, water sources shift along their migration routes. In some spots, the government has installed borewells and solar pumps, but families often continue to rely on streams. “If the solar pump works, it helps,” said Dolma. “But often the tap stops working, and then it’s useless.”Most of Ladakh’s water comes from glaciers. Studies show rising temperatures have melted them faster while erratic rainfall and depleted groundwater have cut supply. Nearly 40 % of Ladakh’s glacial area has shrunk, drying springs and rivers.A woman from Turtuk village in Ladakh cleans freshly picked vegetables in a small stream flowing through her village (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)At Tso Kar Lake, tea-seller Stanzin Dolker said the solar pumps installed under the Jal Jeevan Mission last year rarely function now. “The wiring gets damaged or the motor clogs with mud,” explained Lundup Jamyang, an engineer with the Public Health Engineering Department. “After every winter, pipes also burst due to freezing.”Between 2022 and 2023, 58 solar pumps were installed in Rupshu block, some near nomadic settlements. “JJM isn’t designed for nomads since they move often, but we tried to place pumps near their camps,” Lundup said. “Maintenance is the challenge and parts have to come from Leh, 150 kilometres away.”Each broken pump means another season without water.Exposed water pipes laid over a boulder in Ladakh, a common sight that often leaves locals struggling as the lines freeze in harsh winters (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)The cost on the bodyHealth workers often question Kunzes Dolma’s thick clothing. They remind her that older layers made from yak or sheep wool allowed airflow, unlike the synthetic fabrics now common. “They don’t understand our work,” she said. “By evening, the cold winds hit when we return, and we need these layers.”But these layers which comprise shirts, sweaters, jackets, multiple pants trap sweat and heat. Rarely washed during migration, they create perfect conditions for fungal growth.Health educator Mohd Bhairk, who runs awareness programmes in Leh, says hygiene is inseparable from water access. “When we talk to nomadic women about bathing or cleaning during menstruation, they remain silent,” he says. “They always ask where is the water? Some go months without washing.”A rebo tent, the traditional mobile home of nomadic families who migrate across the plateau with their herds in search of grazing pastures (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)Even though ASHA workers distribute sanitary pads, most women still use cloth. “Sometimes unwashed,” Bhairk added, “because there isn’t enough water to clean and reuse them.”Primary Health Centres in remote Ladakh lack laboratories to detect infections. “We can only do basic tests such as hemoglobin, urine, blood sugar, blood pressure,” he says.Dr Padma confirmed that more women now come with recurring vaginal or cervical infections. “Earlier, water was available and temperatures were manageable. But now, with rising heat and drying sources, hygiene is a major challenge for women who keep moving across eastern Ladakh,” she said. “The dry air here favours fungal infections. I see more such cases in Ladakh than I did in Delhi. Sweat, synthetic clothes, and lack of cleaning worsen it.”A World Bank study noted that poor menstrual hygiene can lead to reproductive and urinary infections, infertility, and childbirth complications, conditions increasingly visible in Ladakh’s warming highlands.In the midst of this, it is the women’s bodies that bear the cost. This project is supported by the Internews Earth Journalism Network with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Cover Photo - A nomadic woman carries a sack of grass uphill to her makeshift home in the highlands of Ladakh (Photo - Safeena Wani, 101Reporters)

Absence of sample testing facility, high freight charges upset Kashmir food entrepreneurs’ apple cart

They have to take products to labs outside Kashmir for quality checks; lack of proper training and government support also affect their prospects  Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir: When many of his age would lament over the transportation hassles, blockades on NH-44 and the sluggish market that held Kashmiri apple hostage at the peak of last year’s harvest season, Adnan Ali Khan (38) decided to do something out of the box. An apple grower and entrepreneur from South Kashmir’s Shopian district, he set out experimenting on apples to make chips!Three months later, Adnan’s unique product is awaiting market entry next month under the brand name Tufa Apple Chips. “The annual harvest from our 7.5-acre ancestral orchard is around 5,000 boxes of apples. Of these, 400 boxes (6,700 kg) are of B and C grades. We usually feed them to cows, and sometimes sell them to street vendors for a minimal price.”In a bid to plug the loss, the management graduate launched a startup and purchased a dehydrating machine with a loading capacity of 90 kg at one cycle. “It takes 15 to 19 hours to dry apple slices,” he says.  However, what hurt Adnan’s venture the most was the lack of product testing expertise in Kashmir. He had to take his product to places like Delhi to get the certificate of food testing, nutritional values of chips and legal proof. The process was both time-consuming and costlier.  Though a National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited government lab functions in Jammu city, it is preoccupied with products from that region. Even if samples from Kashmir are accepted, in some cases, they are not able to fulfil the accreditation parameters that food business operators (FBOs) demand.“We have two NABL-accredited food processing labs in Kashmir, but with a limited capacity and accreditation. The one at the Islamic University of Science and Technology checks spices alone, and the other at Dalgate checks the quality of honey and a few other products,” Professor Haroon Naik, Director of Planning, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), tells 101Reporters. The valley’s premier institute, SKUAST is setting up a third lab, but its NABL accreditation is still a work in progress. “We will try to get accreditation for fruits, vegetables and meat,” he says.  An official at the Food Testing Laboratory in Dalgate says they do accept samples from FBOs, though the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India guidelines state that the FBOs should either set up an in-house laboratory or send samples to a private NABL lab for testing. “However, many times, we do not have the means of testing or accreditation for the parameters they require for their products.”Hurdles on the wayShakeela Bano, another aspiring entrepreneur, had a hard time with the dehydrating machine she got on subsidy from the horticulture department. With no training and technical support, she tried her hand at operating the machine and ended up with charred chips. “Kashmir lacks industrial expertise. I had to request other entrepreneurs who are making chips for training and product inspection,” says Bano. Her product is ready, but she does not know how to sell it. “I do not have any contacts of middlemen who will buy.” Tanveer-Ul-Haq (35), who runs his apple pulp brand Frutin Agro in Lassipora of Pulwama district, says, “We compete in the open market to send a consignment outside Kashmir, with middlemen with trucks deciding the rates. During the peak harvest season, I have to pay Rs 20 to 25 as freight charge for one kg of pulp. In the off-season, I pay Rs 7." Citing how he recently lost an order for apple pulp from Hyderabad owing to high freight rates, Tanveer says the government should provide subsidies on freight charges of processed foods.However, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, Joint Director of Horticulture in Kashmir, tells 101Reporters that the Union Territory does not have a market intervention scheme in place. “In Himachal Pradesh, the government pays Rs 10 per kg of C grade apples to farmers, then gives those apples at cheaper prices to juice factories and lifts juice from factories as well.”Also, gaining a market for locally-processed apple products is difficult due to Chinese dominance. “Except raw material, we have to import every other item, including packaging material and machinery. Freight charges are also high,” says Prof Naik. “China controls the global market, so we cannot just rely on local markets for our apple processing foods. We are working on an export promotion policy, identifying countries where we can sell our products with GI tagging, much like what we achieved for saffron," he says, adding that the J&K administration has already set aside Rs 875 crore for processing units.   How processing helps The 295-km NH-44 is the primary road link that connects Kashmir Valley to Jammu and the rest of India. However, landslides, shooting stones, movement of military convoys and heavy civilian traffic affect the transportation of apples. India is the fifth largest apple producer in the world, with Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh providing a major share, according to a study published in the International Journal for Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Field, 2020. It states production is growing every year, with the share of Jammu and Kashmir in the national production rising from 63.5% in 2006 to 77.2% in 2010. An official document from Kashmir’s horticulture department says around 3.5 million people are directly or indirectly associated with the apple industry which generates a revenue of Rs 10,000 crore annually. Its contribution to the Union Territory's GDP is nearly 10%. In 2022-2023, around 20,24,672 metric tonnes (MTs) of fresh apples were produced in Kashmir against the 19,95,101 MTs in 2019-2020. All these data point to the increased area under apple cultivation and the higher yield, which also suggest the need to equip the fledgling apple processing sector with proper infrastructure and support system. According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Jammu and Kashmir provides 70.54% of the total apples in India.“Right now, the projects are scattered and are in the infancy stage.  Government intervention is needed at multiple levels. With the right support, small entrepreneurs will be able to establish a new sector in the Valley. Considering the volume of apple production, the processed food business will be a big enterprise for locals," says Adnan.Mushtaq Ahmad, who owns a 25-acre orchard in Sopore district, says the processing units will benefit people like him. “Farmers spend equally on all three grades of apple. Around 25% of C grade apples are free fallen, not equal in size and colour. Right now, C grade apples go to waste. Some farmers also bring disrepute to the industry by packaging C grade apples along with A grade under the latter’s label.”“If processing of C grade apples is possible, it will improve the finances of farmers, while also helping to keep the quality and brand image of the Kashmiri apple intact,” he adds. Tanveer could not agree more when he says, “I use C grade and free fall apples. It creates value addition for the farmer.”According to Prof Naik, out of over 20 lakh MT annual production, six lakh metric tonnes are available for processing. However, only 40,000 tonnes are processed currently. A 2021 study published in the Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics says nearly 30% of the total apple produce goes to waste due to pre-harvest drop, making the total annual quantum of such fruit about 0.25 million MT.Meanwhile, Kashmir’s former horticulture director Sarwar Naqash tells 101Reporters that the Central government has taken many steps to promote food processing industries in Kashmir, including under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Programme which includes training and assistance to entrepreneurs.In another project, the Jammu and Kashmir government had in 2014 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Food Processing Industries to provide 50% subsidy for establishing a food processing unit.“Our post-harvest losses are between 20 and 25%, but only 2 to 3% of apples undergo processing. There is a huge scope for processing apples into jam, jelly, juices, pickles and chips,” says a senior horticulture official on condition of anonymity. An employee Shamim Ahmad of Srinagar-based FIL Industries, which owns one of the biggest fruit processing units in the country, says over 1,500 people find direct employment with the company. The numbers increase manifold if associated services such as transportation, harvesting and labour are taken into account.Adnan says an emerging entrepreneur can employ at least five to 10 people directly. However, the scale of employment would increase only once the processing units remain functional and widen its base.An entrepreneur from Pulwama, Javaid Khan believes the processed food sector would boost secondary industries around it, including packaging and transportation. At the same time, there is no doubt that the establishment of sample testing laboratories would employ skilled youth with degrees in food technology and allied fields. Amid all the challenges, Adnan is busy these days researching how to sell his chips on Amazon and Flipkart. “The retail packets of my apple chips are already available on IndiaMart, but my aim is to go far beyond. I want to free Kashmiri apple from the highway hassles and market mess. I want to globalise our principal fruit,” he says.Cover Photo: Dried apple chips (Photo - Flickr/Eliza Adam)Edited by Rekha Pulinnoli

Kashmir's ambitious lavender plantations come up against market barriers

A relatively new entrant in the farming sector in Kashmir, lavender cultivation struggles to find a foothold, with the lack of proper market avenues proving detrimental to the lucrative agribusiness.Kashmir: Sheraz Ahmad, a 36-year-old farmer from the Kulgam district of south Kashmir, received praise from the village Panchayat for adopting organic farming of lavender in 0.37 acres of his land, a practice they think would inspire others to follow and earn a better livelihood.The Panchayat has assured lavender crop farmers that they would plan and help cultivate the cash crop at the grassroots and community levels. They started a campaign using Ahmad's project as a pilot advertisement for others to follow, besides promising help from banks and other government offices. However, Ahmad remains apprehensive of its prospects due to a lack of proper channels and markets to sell the produce. Besides, this sector is still in its infancy, and many are reluctant to join in this experimental phase."Farmers fear losses that might occur if they cultivate lavender on a mass scale on their farms and fields. Where will they sell their produce as there is no functional flower mandi? Neither is the government providing them with a facility nor is there a viable plan to sell their produce in time," Ahmad told 101Reporters. In 2014, while preparing to be a civil servant, Ahmad was motivated to enter the aromatic farming sector. As a student, he had learned about the scope of the fragrance industry at the international level and thus decided to invest in this sector. "It was worth a shot, but the market remains a big concern. If only the government works on the market management, then Kashmir will be a game-changer in lavender production in the whole of South Asia," he rallied.Growing potentialKashmir provides the best climatic conditions conducive to lavender plantations as it grows well in cold temperatures and moderately warm summers and needs one or two irrigations during the rain-fed periods. This cash crop has a gestation period of two years before reaching economic productivity. Lavender oil distilled from flowering spikes possesses a high aroma that holds a commanding position in perfumery, flavour and cosmetic industries. It is also used in anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, carminative, sedative, anti-depressive medications and is effective for burns and insect bites. According to scientists in Kashmir, the cosmetic, fragrance, and medical industries need lavender, both for its oil and its dried flowers.Even in these initial stages, with no proper market support and middlemen are handling the trade informally, lavender has given better benefits to farmers than traditional crops such as maize. A farmer earning around Rs 6,000 from maize cultivated on 0.125 acres of land is now earning around Rs 30,000 on the same piece of land through lavender. The farmers say that they can plant lavender on a large scale if a government-backed market strategy could be devised."Since the agro-climatic conditions of Kashmir are highly suitable for quality lavender production, the government's intervention in the setting up of cooperatives under contract farming for achieving the mission of the purple revolution will change the whole scenario. Kashmir is full of karewas lands (wastelands) where lavender can be grown in abundance," Bhat told 101Reporters. However, lavender cultivation remains unorganised, and whatever the private growers produce, they sell through personal networks. The government has not yet intervened in providing market linkages and in fixing prices for lavender oil. According to the Floriculture department's official records, around 80.23 acres of land are under aromatic plantation by the growers, and around 346 litres of aromatic oil, including lavender oil, were produced in 2020.Representational image: Women grinding lavender flowers in Ladakh (Picture credit - Flickr/sandeepachetan.com)Creating market connectionsTwo government departments, namely, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-IIIM in Srinagar and the Department of Agriculture, have their own lavender farms. The CSIR-IIIM looks after 900 acres of lavender farms across Jammu & Kashmir, including 600 acres in the Kashmir Valley. They own 60 acres of these farms in Kashmir, while the remaining 540 acres are owned by private growers, registered under the Aroma Mission launched in 2016. They intend to cover an area of 1500 hectares in the next two to three years. The Agriculture Department also has its own lavender farm of 49.42 acres and has managed the production of 150 kg of lavender oil in 2020.“Around 200 kg of oil was procured from our own farms during the last three years and sold at around Rs. 12,500 per kg,” an agricultural officer said "Around 2500 kg of lavender oil is being exported to other states like Mumbai, Delhi, MP where essential oil industries utilize it," said Dr Shahid from CSIR-IIIM, the Senior Scientist, Coordinator, Aroma Mission, J&K/Ladakh. The mission also connects a few growers to the entrepreneurs as a small step towards developing market linkages, but small farmers are unable to meet the enormous demands of the industry. "We need to set up cooperatives for the lavender farmers here to increase the production and meet the industry demand. We have an edge in this sector as Kashmir has a monopoly in terms of the area under lavender cultivation," said Dr Shahid. Under CSIR-Aroma Mission, Parvaiz Qazi, a senior research scientist at IIIM, Srinagar, the agro-scientists focus on the small and poor farmers whose lands are barren with no irrigation option."Farmers cultivating lavender can increase their income five to sixfold, which is around more than Rs. 5 lakh for 2.47 acres," said Qazi to 101Reporters.Entrepreneurship keeps hopes alive for sustained profitsKeeping this potential in view, Shahiq Nihal, 23, from Srinagar's Khanyar area, recently decided to become an entrepreneur rather than hunting for a government job. He converted his ancestral piece of land in Tangmarg — the village on the way to the Gulmarg tourist spot — into a sprawling lavender farm, which also saved the soil from erosion.Before setting up the farm, Nihal received formal training on lavender farming from CSIR-IIIM. He planted around 4,000 saplings of lavender. "These saplings do not require much attention," he said. "It is completely organic farming, using only cow dung as fertilizer."While Shahiq is satisfied with the market demand of lavender farming, the major problem he faces is the non-availability of distillation centres to extract the oil near his farm. He has not sold his produce of dried flowers yet, and no one has approached him till now. "We can extract oil only in the distillation units of CSIR-IIIM, which is far away from my farm. They should install distillation machines in every KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendra) Centre," he suggested. "We have taken up the matter with the government for providing distillation units of essential oil extraction under subsidy schemes. We demand that it should be in every district so that farmers will have facilities in their respective districts," said a Floriculture Officer, who wished to remain anonymous. He also maintained that growers often complain that the flowers lose aromatic quality during transportation to large distances for extraction. These problems, however, have not deterred Kashmir's new-age entrepreneurs from dabbling in this experiment and taking calculated risks. Saquib Wani, a 31-year-old grower from Khrew Pampore, has been cultivating lavender since 2018 in his 6.91 acres of land. He now earns around Rs. 12 lakhs from lavender oil and flowers. He also sells to a middleman in Pulwama, who ties up with the consumers or companies outside.