New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- Ladakh has started redirecting nearly 90 million litres of glacier-melt water every day into the Igoo-Phey Irrigation Canal, in a move aimed at strengthening water security and supporting farming in the region. The additional water is expected to benefit nearly 12 villages and increase irrigation coverage to more than 1,000 acres of farmland, The New Indian Express reported.

Water from the Stok village Nallah in Leh had previously flowed into the Indus without being used for irrigation. The administration has now diverted part of the flow into the existing canal through basic earthwork, without incurring any capital expenditure, an official told Express.

Although Ladakh has significant glacier and snowmelt resource...