Chewang Norphel - Will of Steel

I am from an agricultural family from south India. My father is very much interested in agriculture and in south India especially in Tamil Nadu, the main problem is we depend fully on rain water. People has to wait for the rainy season and accordingly they crop their land. If ever there is no rain in the particular season then the farmers will suffer a lot throughout the year. It happened last year, there was no rain in rainy season and in summer due to water scarcity there is no flow of water in rivers, pools and streams. Here people has wasted lot of money and energy in digging the ground till 1000 ft deep into the earth, with the hopes of getting water, but the net result was no water in the ground. Around 300 to 400 coconut tress died in our village due to water shortage. Everybody in our village become depressed when they happened to cut the wood of the trees and they sell it in the market. Almost we lost all our coconut trees in our village and the land is just filled with sand alone. Now we are searching for alternate source for water for agriculture.

Recently I happened to hear about Chewang Norphel, a retired civil engineer aged 76 from Ladakh who is known by nickname Iceman. He was awarded with Padma Shri, the fourth civilian award of India in 2015.  He developed a simple technique to harvest water into an “artificial glacier” using locally found materials and pipes. He created artificial glaciers by diverting rivers into a valley, slowing the stream by constructing checks. These are built as a substitute for dam and he believes that dams are enormous financial burden. The idea of setting up artificial glaciers at lower altitudes than the natural ones that can melt in late spring is really appreciable.  The system uses small streams that are active throughout the year and then turn towards to the valleys. So far he has built 12 artificial lakes and the largest one is that 1000 ft long at phuktsey village which can supply water for 700 people in the entire village at the cost of 90,000Rs. Artificial glaciers have proved significantly increase the underwater recharge and providing necessary water for domestic use and irrigation purposes.

A revolutionary thought!!!

The advantages of these glaciers are numerous that it has been constructed closer to the villages that required water. It is clean and does not affect the environment in any way and is renewable year after year. The technology to build the glaciers is simple and low cost where it does not require the import of any material from outside. These glaciers are maintained by people and there is no need for the investment of money for this system. Today he stands in front of the camera proudly, as a true climate hero.

There are many inspirational people who are designing gadgets and flying out space. But Chewang Norphel  is from a different world, where he found a solution for the simple problem like” storage of water” in a simple innovative way and storing it at a place where water is considered as gold. I want this idea to be known to everybody in India especially to the farmers in south India where rain water today becomes a dream. 

Chewang, Indeed a real Hero and Champ.  

C - Complex problems provided with Simple Solution; 

H- His Handiwork (has been a big boon for the area)

E - Example for others.

W - Watershed development and solved water scarcity

A  - Agriculture development 

N - Nutrition Project development 

G - Glaciers development 

THE WILL OF STEEL

IS THE ABILITY TO NEVER GIVE UP, 

THE STRENGTH TO NEVER TURN BACK.!!!

THE COURAGE

TO ACCEPT CRITICISM AND 

MOULD IT INTO ENCOURAGEMENT.

IT IS THE VALIDATION OF YOUR METTLE THAT STANDS AS

PROOF OF YOUR DETERMINATION.

WHILE SOME CALL IT MADNESS, WE CALL IT

THE WILL OF STEEL.