In 2019 Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were declared two separate Union Territories following the abrogation of Article 370. This verdict left them without a legislature, depriving them autonomy in governance. They are also struggling with government jobs and land rights. But now the actual concern is the development projects announced by the government in the past two years. The ruling governance declared seven hydro-electric projects in the Indus Basin and its tributaries while also commission ONGC to set up a geothermal energy power plant at Puja Valley and a hydrogen unit by NTPC.
Among all the chaos one name is coming out repeatedly, Sonam Wangchuk. Sonam Wangchuk is an Indian Engineer, innovator, climate activist and education reformist. He started teaching students in his college days and after that he founded SECMOL (Students Educational and Culture Movement of Ladakh) where students who failed only they can take admission. This initiative of his made the percentage of pass among students up to 75%. He always uses his new inventions for sustainable development with the goal of saving the environment. SECMOL, which was founded by Mr. Wangchuk is run by solar energy only, any other fuel is not used there. He is the first one who initiated to make an artificial glacier to solve the water storage in harvesting. There also no electrical energy used in the pipe lines. He also made a Warm Shelter for soldiers in the cooling climate in Ladakh which is running through sustainable energy sources.
His journey of being an environmental researcher, education reformist, environmental activist , sustainable development activist kept going on. Now he is on the street of Ladakh doing his second climate fast with only salt and water for 21 days in the temperature of -10. He completed his second climate fast on 27th march with the demand of saving the land of Ladakh, promoting sustainable development, land right and Ladakh’s own Public Service Commission. He did the first climate fast on 26th jan last year to amplify Ladakhi demands. This time also he is doing every possible thing to save the land on the edge of climate change. Through his innovations and movements he is trying to promote sustainable development , trying to defeat climate change and global warming. In the edge where Ladakh might be the second North Bengal where climate change destroys lands every year he is trying to save the land from the biggest threat of earth right now.
