<span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; letter-spacing: 0.1px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 20px;">Ladakh: The role of monks is restricted to invoking spirituality, one
would think, but the monks in Ladakh are going one step further by conserving the
tributaries of Indus by keeping them clean. In line with the vision of an
organisation called&nbsp; Himalayan Glacier
Waterkeeper, twenty monks, also known as affiliates, monitor as many as twenty
villages, ensuring that the village water area remains clean at all times. A
team head, who is in charge of the Leh region and also oversees the affiliates,
works hand in hand with them to achieve this goal by spreading awareness and
organising cleanliness drives that have been successful in leaving an indelible
impact on the villagers and local communities. The monks have been a part of
the visionary mission since 2016, when His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, the head
of the Drukpa Kagyu Sect of Buddhism, birthed the impactful project. The monks
who belonged to the same sect, decided to give wings to the mission by lending
a helping hand. Ever since the inception of the project, the monks, with the
unprecedented support of the Hill Council, Leh and the residents of Shey
village Himalayan Glacier Waterkeeper, have been scripting success stories. Prominent
among them is the victory that came in 2017, when an area near the River Indus
near Sindhu Ghat was restored to glory after people were disallowed from contaminating
the area by using it as a ghat to wash their carpets, blankets, clothes and
cars. Team
head <span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 20px;">Dechan Yangdol sheds light on how they accomplished
the gargantuan task, “With the help of local villagers we (the monks and the
team head) managed to get the government involved- raised fences along the
Indus, put banners and boards along the road forbidding people from doing so
and the villagers also took turns to stop people from using the area. After a
few months, we were able to conquer this challenge and now, it is completely
free of such activities. We still do random checks along the area and if we
find vehicles they are warned of severe consequences.” The job of conserving
the topko, however, is easier said than done. Dechan explains, “The water
streams have to be looked after manually. That apart, arguments also take
place at times with people who refuse to see reason. There are always some
people washing in the stream behind everyone’s back.” Despite the challenges,
Dechan is hopeful, “Being a religious society makes it easier- most villagers
do understand the importance of keeping their water resource clean. Besides, Buddhism
cares for all sentient beings- organisms in water being one of them. This
philosophy of ‘karma’ is deep rooted in the society.” She continues to stress upon the significance of the conservation of
water bodies in Ladakh, “The water of the area is very precious as most of it
is dependent on glacial melt. Due to rise in temperature throughout the
Himalayas and global warming creating havoc to the environment, Ladakh has seen
an immense dive in snowfall. Due to this, the underground water is being used
up dangerously and carelessly to fulfil local and commercial needs. ( Ladakh
sees an influx of approx. 1,60,000 tourists every year which is similar to its
native population). The little water that comes via glacial melt is made dirty
by contamination caused by animal waste, bathroom drainage, washing
clothes/cars etc. The organisation tries to make the locals
understand the importance of keeping the water area clean as most people drink
that water.” She adds, “The monks, being revered in the community, carry a
stronger voice and their words are heeded by the people.” The organisation
religiously collects water samples every month to gain an insight into its quality.
Dechan says, “When people see us collecting data every month, they become more
conscious about keeping the waterway clean.” <span style="font-family: Charter; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; letter-spacing: 0.1px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-size: 20px;">Gen. Rigzin, a monk whose village name is
Sumda-Chun says, “<span style="font-family: Charter; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; letter-spacing: 0.1px; font-size: 20px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">His
Holiness’s vision and thoughts have helped us see and do our bit towards the
environment. We have an old Ladakhi saying- no water no village - this
resonates with all the Ladakhis.&nbsp;Besides, the testing water at regular
intervals helps us check for irregularities and we also know for sure that our
animals are drinking healthy water.” Chuchot Affiliate Gen Jigmet sheds light on why the mission is
so important to him, “I want to follow my Guru’s vision. He is doing all of this
for Ladakh and wants to contribute towards making it a better place. Monks get
posted to different villages after a two-year period and I hope to spread
awareness wherever I go.”&nbsp;<span style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: 20px; line-height: 115%; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-size: 20px;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>























 
 
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