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Changthang district

Changthang district
District of Ladakh
View of Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
View of Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
Country India
Union TerritoryLadakh
HeadquarterNyoma
Established27 April 2026
Government
 • Lok Sabha constituenciesLadakh
 • MPMohmad Haneefa
Area
 • Total
21,000 km2 (8,100 sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialHindi and English[1]
 • SpokenPurgi, Shina, Ladakhi, Urdu, Balti, Tibetan
Time zoneUTC+05:30 (IST)

Changthang district, with headquarter at Nyoma, is one of the district in the Union Territory of Ladakh in India.[2][3][4]

History

On 27th April 2026, 5 new districts were notified in the government gazette for boosting the service delivery and infrastructure, including Drass Changthang with 24 revenue villages which was carved out of western part of Kargil district , and Zanskar with 26 revenue villages.[2] Earlier announced on 26th August 2024 as a new district was awaiting the formal notification for the creation.[5] In January 2024, hundreds of people from various villages in the region took part in a peaceful protest march, demanding that Drass be recognized as a district.[6]

Geography

Changthang district is part of the larger Changtang region (alternatively spelled Changthang or Qangtang) in the high altitude Tibetan Plateau. Changtang region is spread across the western and northern Tibet extending into the southern edges of Xinjiang as well as Changthang district in southeastern Ladakh of in India.[7]

Changthang, also known as Eastern Flat Land, is the region where nomads reside, situated to the east of Leh near the Chinese border. The typical elevation of the region hovers at approximately 14600 meters above sea level.[8][9]

Administration

The Changthang district is include Nyoma and Durbuk subdivisions.[10] The Demchok, Hanle, Ukdungle, Chushul, Tangtse, and Chumar sector are important habitations.

Sub–divisions, Blocks and Villages in Changthang district
Current district Former district Sub-Division Blocks Villages
Changthang district Leh district Nyoma Nyoma Anlay, Demjok, Koyul, Mood, Nyoma
Rong-Chumathang Chumathang, Himya, Kerey, Kumgyam, Liktse, Skitmang, Tarchit, Teri, Tukla
Rupsho-Puga Karzok, Kharnak, Samad Rakchan
Durbuk Durbuk Chushul, Durbuk, Kargyam, Man Pangong, Shachukul, Tangtse
Total 1 2 4 24

Tourism

Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in Changthang.

Cultural tourism

Changpa nomadic people of Changthang.

The most remarkable characteristic of this Lake region is the Nomadic people who herd goats and yaks.[11] The Changtang is home to the Changpa, a nomadic pastoralists Tibetan people.[12][13]

Religious tourism

The 19th-century Korzok Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, contains statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and other deities.[11]

Eco tourism

Wild kiang near Tso Kar Lake.

Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, wild animals, lakes, and rare birds are the primary draw of this region.[8][9]

Kailash range

Kailash Range lakes are Pangong Tso and Spanggur Tso.

Pangong lake

Pangong Lake stretches for 40 miles and is approximately 2 to 4 miles wide, situated at an elevation of 4267 m above sea level. India occupies one-third of the lake, with the rest falling under China's territory. The lake's most notable feature is its water color, which is a vibrant deep blue in the evening and becomes light blue in the morning, catching the eye at first sight. The lake water is not as salty as ocean water, but it is as cold as ice.[14][15]

Spanggur Tso

Spanggur Tso lies adjacent to Pangong Lake.

Rupsho valley

Rupshu area has several soda lakes inside the Salt Valley,[8][9] which are also recognised as Ramsar site.[16]

Tso Moriri lake

Located in the Rupshu|Rupshu Valley, the Tso Moriri lake is a stunning body of water surrounded by mountains and situated approximately 240 kilometers from Leh. The Lake sits at an altitude of 14,000 ft close to the tiny village of Karzok.[11]

Tso Kar

Tso Kar (also known as the salt lake), another gorgeous Lake, is situated approximately 76 kilometers away from Tso Moriri.[11][15] Tso Kar Lake, also referred to as the 'White Lake,' is located in the Rupshu Plateau and valley in the southern region of Ladakh. Wetlands and lush green meadows are all around it. The water in the lake is slightly salty. There are wide range of birds. A significant quantity of grebes and brown-headed gulls, as well as a few strip geese, rust geese, and terns, can be observed. Tso Kar Lake supports various other animals like Kiang, Tibetan gazelles, Tibetan wolves. The tent-dwelling Samad-Rokchen nomadic group resides around the lake. Thugjay village serves as the central hub of this nomadic community.[17][15]

Scientific tourism

Hanle observatory

Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle.

Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), a high-altitude astronomy station in Hanle in Western Himalayas, is operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics at an elevation of 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) as world's tenth-highest optical telescope sites for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes.[18]

ISRO space station

ISRO's Human Outer Planet Exploration (HOPE) station at Tso Kar for India’s human space exploration mimics conditions on the Moon and Mars and aimed at carrying out "research for future crewed interplanetary journeys", and acts as testing grounds for relevant technologies, help advance technology readiness levels (TRL) and engineering integration, and facilitate human studies, crew training and research around geological, geomorphological, habitability, and life detection. There are 33 such stations across the world. In August 2025, India began its first ever space simulation at this station in which 2 crew in space suit stayed inside the station for the further research and development.[19]

Climate

The summers are warm but short and thunderstorms can occur at any time of year, often accompanied with hail. Meanwhile, the winters are cold and Arctic-like despite the latitude, primarily due to the high elevation.[20]

Transport

See also: India-China Border Roads and Tourist roads in Ladakh

Nyoma Airstrip and Fukche Airstrip in the east are two military airstrips in the district.

Hanle-Kaza-Tabo Road is being constructed by the BRO under the Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR) scheme. This road connects to and partially overlaps with the 125 km long Kiato-Karzok Road, from Kiato (near Kaza in Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh) through the Takling La Tunnel (5575 m) to Karzok (on shores of Tso Moriri), being constructed by the BRO as fourth alternative route to Ladakh.[21]

Hanle-Zursar-Imis La Road was completed by December 2023.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ Ganai, Naseer (19 January 2022). "Urdu No More Official Language Of Ladakh". Outlook India. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b Historic milestone for Ladakh: Five new districts notified in Ladakh; taking total districts to seven, 27 Apr 2026.
  3. ^ "MHA announces five new districts in Ladakh". The Times of India. 2024-08-26. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  4. ^ Singh, Vijaita (2024-08-26). "MHA announces five new districts in Ladakh: Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra and Changthang". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  5. ^ "Ladakh Gets 5 New Districts: Zanskar, Drass, Sham, Nubra And Changthang". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  6. ^ "Residents seek district tag for Drass". Tribune India. 14 Jan 2024. Retrieved 26 Aug 2024.
  7. ^ Rizvi, Janet (1999). Trans-Himalayan Caravans. Oxford University Press. p. 301. ISBN 978-0-19-564855-3.
  8. ^ a b c Kothari, Ashish (2023-11-13). "India's energy transition". Meer. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  9. ^ a b c "Dhata Nomadic Festival celebrated in Changthang". Voice of Ladakh. 2022-08-14. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  10. ^ Grand celebrations held to mark Changthang District Formation, Indus Dispatch, 6 September 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d "Gul Panag explores Ladakh's Tso Moriri: Know more about the place". The Indian Express. 2022-08-06. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  12. ^ Namgail, T., Bhatnagar, Y.V., Mishra, C. & Bagchi, S. (2007) Pastoral nomads of the Indian Changthang: production system, land use and socioeconomic changes. Human Ecology 35, 497–504.
  13. ^ Ladakh's new districts announced: Full details inside, The Economic Times, 26 August 2024.
  14. ^ Sharma, Nootan (2023-02-18). "Pangong Tso will be the highest frozen lake marathon. Aim is Guinness, climate consciousness". ThePrint. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  15. ^ a b c "Ladakh Monastery & Villages". theincredibleladakh.com. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  16. ^ "Ladakh's Tso Kar wetland complex added to list of Ramsar sites". The Times of India. 25 December 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-27.
  17. ^ "Ladakh's Tso Kar Wetland Complex added to list of Ramsar site". ANI News. Retrieved 2024-08-27.
  18. ^ "Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle". Indian Institute of Astrophysics. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  19. ^ ‘Mars’ in Ladakh—2 scientists enter space bubble to test human endurance for interplanetary missions, The Print, 1 Aug 2025.
  20. ^ Goldstein, Melvyn; Cynthia Beal (1990). Nomads of Western Tibet. Berkeley, CA, UwSA: University of California Press. pp. 44. ISBN 978-0-520-07211-4.
  21. ^ "Kyato-Korzok road will connect Himachal to Ladakh, army will have easy access to China border". Amar Ujala. 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
  22. ^ YEAR-END DEADLINE SET FOR BRO TO COMPLETE 20 ROADS ALONG LAC AS STANDOFF WITH CHINA LOOKS INCREASINGLY IRREVERSIBLE, INDIAN DEFENCE NEWS, AUGUST 03, 2023.

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