Leh, May 16 :A month-long community-driven environmental campaign in Ladakh’s ecologically fragile Changthang region concluded with the inauguration of the Mahey Raldho irrigation canal and the completion of a plantation drive during which more than 15,000 willow saplings were planted along the canal network.
The concluding ceremony at Kotsa Mahey was attended by Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinay Kumar Saxena and Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, under whose guidance the initiative was carried out by the Drukpa Nuns of Mahey Kotsa Nunnery in collaboration with local residents, monastic institutions and youth volunteers.
Inaugurating the canal, the Lieutenant Governor praised the coordinated efforts of the nuns, villagers and volunteers in promoting ecological conservation in the high-altitude cold desert region. He called for broader public participation in sustaining environmental protection efforts and strengthening the vision of a greener Ladakh through collective action.
The campaign was organised under the environmental vision of Gyalwang Drukpa and saw participation from residents and Nambardars of Rong and Hanley, besides volunteers from Young Drukpa Association units of Ladakh, Korzok and Nubra. The willow saplings were planted along the newly developed irrigation canal to enhance green cover and support long-term ecological sustainability.
Addressing the gathering, Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche referred to similar plantation initiatives undertaken across the Himalayan belt under the guidance of the Gyalwang Drukpa and said such efforts reflected the Drukpa lineage’s continued emphasis on environmental stewardship and sustainable living.
Senior civil and police officials, monastic representatives, elected leaders, monks, nuns and residents from Changthang villages attended the programme, which comes amid growing concerns over climate vulnerability and ecological degradation across Ladakh’s high-altitude regions.
