On Indo-China border, model village to come up in Ladakh for nomads

Key points

• SRINAGAR: Ladakh Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the first model border village at Chumur, located at an altitude of 16,700 feet along the India-China border.Officials said the first-of-its-kind project in the region will focus on infrastructure development, employment and livelihood generation, all-weather connectivity and greater civilian-defence integration.
• The initiative aims to facilitate a transition from a largely nomadic way of life to a secure and permanent settlement in the remote frontier region.Chumur has 24 households with a population of 91 people, who are all engaged with goat rearing for pashmina and its production.Under the program, families in these villages will be provided with climate-resilient, south-facing passive solar houses, designed to maximize solar heat gain and protect them from harsh winters, when the temperatures drop to -35 degrees, a Ladakh government statement said.Each household will receive a residential unit with an attached bathroom, an additional...