Can ice structures solve a Himalayan water crisis?

A group of 10 volunteers are gathering; putting into place a plan to solve a water crisis in Ladakh, the northern most region of India, in the high Himalayas.

They are building manmade ice structures, more than 30m tall, that they hope will melt early in the spring and give villagers and their farms the water they need.

The ice structures are the brainchild of engineer Sonam Wangchuk. Born in Ladakh, he has worked for several years to find innovative solutions to everyday problems facing the local communities.

They call the structures "stupas" because they bear resemblance to Tibetan religious stupas - elegant hemispherical or conical structures with pointed tops that contain relics, such as the remains of Buddhist monks.

The technology behind the ice structures is simple. Pipes are initially buried under the ground, below the frost line, before the final section of the pipe then rises vertically. Due to the difference in height, temperature, and the gravitational force, pressure builds up in the pipe. The stream water eventually flows up and out from the pipe's raised tip like a fountain.

"We are freezing water that goes unused in winter and, because of the geometric shape it doesn't melt till late spring," says Mr Wangchuk. In late spring the artificial glacier starts to melt and water can be used for drip-irrigation of crops.

UCJ, UNILORIN.