Leh

Why climate activist Sonam Wangchuk led a foot march from Leh to Delhi

Leh to Delhi foot march explained: Who is Sonam Wangchuk and what is the aim of his month-long foot march to Delhi

'People Called Ladakh' explores the region's diverse cultures, communities

The book also spotlights Kargil, a city that most people still associate with the 1999 Indo-Pakistan war

Sonam Wangchuk's 'Delhi Chalo Padyatra' from Leh begins for 4-point agenda

More than 100 volunteers led by renowned innovator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk started a foot march from here to the national capital on Sunday to urge the Centre to resume the stalled dialogue with the leadership of Ladakh on their four-point agenda. The Delhi Chalo Padyatra' was organized by the Leh Apex Body (LAB), which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), are jointly spearheading an agitation over the past four years in support of statehood, extension of the Constitution's sixth schedule, early recruitment process along with a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts. The talks between Ladakh representatives and the Central government ended in March without any concrete outcome. Amid chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and we want sixth schedule, LAB chairman Thupstan Chhewang flagged off the march from NDS Memorial park with Wangchuk expressing hope that the government will greet them with a good news on reaching

LAB, KDA hold meet in Ladakh, pleads centre on discussion over 4-pt agenda

Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) on Sunday held a joint meeting here, expressing hope that the Centre will restart the dialogue with them on the four-point agenda which included statehood to Ladakh and its inclusion in the 6th schedule of the Constitution. However, the leaders representing the two districts of the Union territory said their core committee will meet once again to chalk out the future course of action in case there was no response from the government. KDA and LAB, both separate grouping of various political, social and religious organizations, are jointly spearheading the agitation in support of the four-point agenda over the past four years after the abrogation of Article 370 granting special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories. We had a joint meeting lasting three-hours here to discuss the way forward with regard to our four-point agenda which remains the focal point for future talks .

Crypto scam: ED seizes Rs 1-cr cash during raids in Leh, other places

An amount of Rs 1 crore and "incriminating" documents were seized following raids against operators of a "fake" cryptocurrency investment company that cheated people in Ladakh and some other places, the Enforcement Directorate said Sunday. The searches were undertaken on August 2 in Leh, Jammu and Sonipat in Haryana under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Officials had said this was the first time that the federal anti-money laundering agency carried out searches in Ladakh. The probe pertains to cheating of innocent people, including people of Leh, by assuring them of doubling their investment in a short period of 10 months through investment in fake cryptocurrency named Emollient Coin, the agency said in a statement. This "fake" cryptocurrency, as per the ED, was represented and promoted by Naresh Gulia of Sonipat through a company named Emollient Coin Limited that was incorporated in September, 2017 in the United Kingdom. The business was promoted a

When flights couldn't take off in Leh because air was too thin: Explained

The Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport in Leh, one of the highest in the world, faces challenges due to mountain winds that necessitate flights taking off or landing in the morning hours

Leh-bound SpiceJet flight suffers bird hit; returns safely back to Delhi

A Leh-bound SpiceJet aircraft suffered a bird hit on Sunday morning and returned to the national capital, according to the airline. The plane landed back safely and the passengers were deplaned normally. A source said the Boeing 737 plane had around 135 people onboard. In a statement, SpiceJet said the aircraft operating SG 123 from Delhi to Leh returned back to the national capital after suffering a bird hit on engine 2. "The aircraft landed back safely in Delhi and passengers were deplaned normally," it said. The airline also said the aircraft made a normal landing and not an emergency landing. Earlier, the source said that a full emergency was declared at the airport and the aircraft, which took off at around 1030 hours, landed safely at about 11 am. The plane returned due to engine vibrations, the source added.

Leh Apex Body to begin five-day march on April 17, says Sonam Wangchuk

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) will start a five-day foot march to Skang Chu-Thang near the Himachal Pradesh border on April 17 to meet the shepherds who are reportedly losing their pasture land to major industrial projects, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk said on Sunday. However, he said the marchers, numbering around 20, would move forward to Changthang near the China border only if there is no objection from the government. The LAB, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading an agitation for the past four years to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Wangchuk expressed his annoyance over "some people in Delhi" dubbing them as "anti-nationals or Chinese and CIA agents" and said the only purpose of the march is to "take the pain of the people" of Ladakh to the government which needs to fulfil its promises. The LAB had earlier called for the border (Pashmina) march on April 7 to highlight the plight of farmers who a

Leh makes masks compulsory in public places amid surge in Covid cases

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, the Leh district administration on Monday said wearing masks in public places will be mandatory for people. Leh recorded 11 COVID-19 cases last week. "In view of rising COVID-19 cases in the district, precautionary measures to contain the spread of COVID-19... are hereby ordered to be followed strictly. "People must ensure compulsory wearing of facemasks in offices, workplaces and public places, including public transport," District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) CEO Santosh Sukhadeve said in an official order. The order also asked people to maintain social distancing in offices and public places. "The general public shall avoid unnecessary gathering and visiting crowded places. All Heads of departments (HoDs) of Leh district and all sub-divisional magistrates shall ensure the compliance of this order," Sukhadeve said. The chief medical officer will ensure rigorous surveillance and submit daily status reports on COVID-19 to the DDMA, he said.

Chhattisgarh: 3.3 magnitude earthquake hits Ambikapur; no injury reported

A low-intensity earthquake of 3.3 magnitude on the Richter Scale was recorded near Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district on Tuesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) informed."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.3, Occurred on 26-12-2023, 14:50:45 IST, Lat: 24.19 & Long: 82.57, Depth: 4 km, Location: 132km NNW of Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh," the NCS said in a post on X.However, no injury was reported.

Earthquake of magnitude 4.5 jolts Leh, Ladakh in wee hours of Tuesday

An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 hit the Leh region in the wee hours of Tuesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) informed.According to the NCS, the earthquake occurred at around 4.33 am at a depth of 5 km.The epicentre of the earthquake was found to be at latitude 34.73 and longitude 77.07."Earthquake of Magnitude:4.5, Occurred on 26-12-2023, 04:33:54 IST, Lat: 34.73 & Long: 77.07, Depth: 5 Km ,Location: Leh, Ladakh, India," NCS posted on X.

Rahul Gandhi condoles deaths of nine army jawans in Ladakh accident

As many as nine soldiers of the Indian Army were killed and one was injured after their vehicle fell into a gorge in Ladakh, defence officials said on Saturday

Rajnath condoles death of Army personnel in road accident in Leh district

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday condoled the death of nine Indian Army personnel in a road accident near Leh. Nine soldiers were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge, officials said. "Saddened by the loss of Indian Army personnel due to an accident near Leh in Ladakh. We will never forget their exemplary service to our nation," the defence minister said on 'X', formerly Twitter. "My thoughts are with the bereaved families. The injured personnel have been rushed to the Field Hospital. Praying for their speedy recovery," Singh said, without mentioning the number of soldiers killed and injured in the accident. Army officials said nine personnel lost their lives in the accident. The accident took place near Kiari in southern Ladakh's Nyoma, according to local officials.

Nine soldiers killed as Army vehicle plunges into gorge in Ladakh

Eight soldiers were feared dead after their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Leh district of Ladakh on Saturday, officials said. The accident took place at Kerey in southern Ladakh's Nyoma Saturday evening, the officials said. They said a rescue operation was underway at the site.

NTPC begins trial run of hydrogen bus in Leh, setting up fuelling station

State-owned power giant NTPC has started a trial run of a hydrogen bus in Leh. Towards achieving carbon-neutral Ladakh, NTPC is setting up a hydrogen fuelling station, solar plant and providing five fuel cell buses for operation on intracity routes of Leh, a company statement said. The first hydrogen bus reached Leh on August 17 as part of a three-month-long process of field trials, roadworthiness tests and other statutory procedures. This will be India's first-ever deployment of hydrogen buses on public roads, it claimed. The first-of-its-kind Green Hydrogen Mobility Project at 11,562 ft is co-located with a dedicated solar plant of 1.7 MW for providing renewable power. The fuel cell buses are designed for operation in sub-zero temperatures in rarefied atmospheres, typical to such altitude locations, which is a unique feature of this project. NTPC is committed to achieving 60 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by 2032 and be a major player in green hydrogen technology and energy st

Pepperfry co-founder Ambareesh Murty dies of cardiac arrest in Leh

Ambareesh Murty, the co-founder and CEO of Pepperfry, died of a cardiac arrest in Leh, the online marketplace for furniture and home decor's another co-founder said. He was 51. "Extremely devastated to inform that my friend, mentor, brother, soulmate @AmbareeshMurty is no more. Lost him yesterday night to a cardiac arrest at Leh. Please pray for him and for strength to his family and near ones," Ashish Shah said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Murty was a bike enthusiast and used to go on motorcycle trips from Mumbai to Leh. He had posted photos and videos from his trip to Ladakh on Instagram. He founded Pepperfry in 2011 after stints with Cadbury, ICICI AMC (now ICICI Prudential) and Levi's. Pepperfry, which counts Goldman Sachs, Fevicol-maker Pidilite Ventures and Bertelsmann India Investments among its investors, is worth USD 500 million. Tributes poured in with people posting their fond memories with Murty. "So sad & shocking to hear of Ambareesh Murty's sudden ..

450 year old building collapses in Ladakh as heavy rainfall lashes region

He further said that a few old houses have also been damaged in the area due to heavy rains

Earthquake of 4.1 magnitude on Richter scale hits Ladakh near Leh

An earthquake of magnitude 4.1 on the Richter scale hit 295 kilometres northeast of the Leh district of Ladakh on Sunday, said National Center for Seismology (NCS).The earthquake occurred at 2:16 am at a depth of 10 km."Earthquake of Magnitude:4.1, Occurred on 18-06-2023, 02:16:49 IST, Lat: 35.85 & Long: 80.08, Depth: 10 Km , Location: 295km NE of Leh, Ladakh," tweeted NCS.National Center for Seismology (NCS) is the nodal agency of the Government of India for monitoring of earthquake activity in the country.Further details are awaited.

Govt approves Rs 687 cr to upgrade Ladakh's power distribution infra

The central government has given its approval for the implementation of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in the Union Territory of Ladakh with a sanctioned cost of Rs 687.05 crore, officials said. The ministry of power conveyed its approval to RDSS for implementation in Ladakh, they said. In this regard, an agreement was signed between chief engineer, Distribution, Ladakh Power Development Department (LPDD), Tsewang Paljor and executive director WAPCOS Limited A K Gahlot in the presence of administrative Secretary Power, Ladakh, Ravinder Kumar, they added. The scheme includes the grid connectivity of the Changthang region, downline infrastructure in the Zanskar region along with other loss reduction works in the Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, they said. The ministry of power also approved the appointment of WAPCOS, a Government of India undertaking as the project management agency (PMA) for the implementation of RDSS in Ladakh. The Revamped Distribution Sector Schem

Ladakh: Sonam Wangchuk says he's under house arrest, police deny charge

Engineer and innovator Sonam Wangchuk claims he has been placed under house arrest at his institute here, a charge denied by police which says he was only prevented from observing a five-day fast at the top of Khardung La. The education reformist, who inspired a pivotal character in the Bollywood blockbuster 3 Idiots, had announced the hunger strike at the 18,380 feet high Khardung La from January 26 to invite the BJP-led Centre's attention to the demands of the people of Ladakh. These include extension of the sixth schedule of the Constitution and environmental protection form unchecked industrial and commercial expansion. In a tweet on Saturday, Wangchuk shared a copy of a bond, which among other things sought an undertaking that he will not make any comments, statements, public speech, hold or participate in public assemblies or any activity related to the recent events in Leh district. "CALLING LAWYERS OF THE WORLD!!! The #Ladakh UT administration wants me to sign this bond eve