Kumik in Zanskar Declared Ladakh's First Heritage Village Amid Water-Driven Relocation Concerns

Key facts

• Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena declared Zanskar's Kumik as the Union Territory's first designated Heritage Village on September 15, coinciding with the opening of the Ladakh Zanskar Festival.
• The recognition honours Kumik's traditional homes, sacred spaces, farming practices, longstanding customs, and Kanjur (Kangyur) manuscripts, the Tibetan Buddhist collection of scriptures traditionally regarded as the Buddha's words.
• A 2022 report described families relocating from Kumik to Lower Kumik, where a canal provided irrigation water, while a July 2025 report stated much of the historic village had been abandoned.
• The Mountain Climate Fund has proposed a canal about 300 yards long at roughly 18,000 feet to capture meltwater from a neighbouring glacier and direct runoff towards the streambed above Kumik.
• The 2026 Zanskar Festival was the first since Zanskar attained district status in April, and the festival has been included in Ladakh's official tourism calendar.