Leh, 03 June (H.S.): In a landmark development, aimed at strengthening border habitation and improving the quality of life of residents living in remote frontier regions, Ladakh LG, Vinai Kumar Saxena, yesterday laid the foundation stone for the first Model Border Village at Chumur under the Government of India’s ambitious Vibrant Village Programme (VVP). Perched at an altitude of 16,700 feet along the Indo-China Border, Chumur houses 24 households with a population of 91 people, who are all engaged with Pashmina rearing and production.

This project will script a new chapter in the development journey of Ladakh, aligned with Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s dream of strong, self-reliant border villages. Beginning with Chumur, 10 such border villagers will be developed as Model Border Villages in the first phase of VVP.

This Project, which is also the first of its kind in Ladakh and among the pioneering model border villages in India, will focus on four key pillars of development – Infrastructure, Employment and Livelihood Creation, All-Weather Functionality, and Civilian–Defence Integration. The project has been conceived to develop Chumur as a self-reliant, climate-resilient, tourism-enabled and economically vibrant border settlement.

The foundation-laying event witnessed jubilant celebrations from hundreds of locals, including youth and senior citizens, that reflected the spirit, aspirations and whole-hearted support for this new initiative. A large number of school children from nearby villages were specially brought in by the district administration to witness and experience the concept of Vibrant Village, which essentially aims at fostering inclusivity and connecting the people with the mainstream of development.

Under the programme, families in these villages will be provided with climate-resilient, south-facing passive solar houses, designed to maximise solar heat gain and protect them from harsh winters, when the temperatures drop to -35 degrees, during the peak winter months. Each household will receive a residential unit with an attached bathroom, an additional room suitable for homestay activities, a kitchen garden space, livestock sheds and dedicated fodder storage facilities. These houses are expected to be completed by September this year, subject to weather conditions.

The project is aimed at significantly boosting local economic activities by developing Chumur as a tourism destination on the Korzok – Hanle circuit. As part of it, tourism infrastructure, including a community-run café, promotion of handicrafts, Pashmina-based livelihoods and value-added Pashmina products, will be facilitated to create new income-generation opportunities for local residents. This primarily aims at infusing self-reliance among the villagers and reversing migration from the border regions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar