Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk to observe five-day climate fast from Jan 26, showcase ‘power of sun’

Sonam Wangchuk had urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the safety and protection of Ladakh as studies suggested the extinction of nearly two-thirds of the glaciers in the Union Territory.

Sonam Wangchuk, an Indian engineer, innovator and education reformist. (Express Photo)

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Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, who inspired the lead character in the film ‘3 Idiots’, said that he will start a five-day climate fast on January 26 to demonstrate the “power of the sun” and “sustainable carbon neutral technologies”.

Wangchuk explained that during his fast, he will be camping on top of the Khardungla at a height of 18,000 feet, where the temperature will be minus 40° Celsius. The carbon-neutral fast will see him use hot water and electricity generated using solar panels and, possibly, a solar bed. “Solar is the way to go for the world and that is what I will try to demonstrate on perhaps the world’s first climate-neutral fast,” Wangchuk said in a video.

THIS IS THE POWER OF SUN
And I’ll be demonstrating it during my… (possibly world’s 1st carbon neutral) #ClimateFast at #Khardungla top 18,000 ft minus 40 °C starting 26th January…
Stay tuned…#SaveLadakh @350 @UNFCCC @UNEP #ilivesimply @narendramodi @LeoDiCaprio pic.twitter.com/wKCKC878D1

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) January 24, 2023

Demonstrating the “power of the sun”, Wangchuk shared a video from inside a uniquely-built mud house in Ladakh, where the temperature inside the hut was 20° Celsius even when the temperature outside was minus 20° Celsius.

In preparation for the fast, the activist camped overnight on his rooftop at HIAL Phyang at 11,500 feet in minus 20° Celsius, inviting praise from business tycoon Anand Mahindra.

A TEST RUN SUCCESSFUL !
All’s well at minus 20°C.
Inching closer to my #ClimateFast at #Khardungla 18,000 ft minus 40 °C starting 26th January…
This test was on my rooftop at #HIAL Phyang at 11,500 ft#SaveLadakh @ClimateReality @UNFCCC @UNDP_India #ilivesimply @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/apv0NDrZAg

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) January 23, 2023

The fast comes at a time Wangchuk has been urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pay attention to the environmentally sensitive Ladakh, where studies suggest two-thirds of the glaciers are extinct. In a video, Wangchuk had asked Modi to intervene and safeguard the fragile ecosystem under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution as “all is not well in Ladakh”.

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Wangchuk stressed that if the carelessness continued and Ladakh is stopped from being provided protection from the industries, the glaciers here will extinct, thus creating enormous problems due to water scarcity in India and its neighborhood.

“If measures are not taken, the industries, tourism, and commerce will continue to flourish in Ladakh and will eventually finish it. Recent studies from Kashmir University and other research organizations have concluded that glaciers in Leh-Ladakh will finish nearly to its 2/3rd if they are not properly taken care of. A study by Kashmir Univesity has found that the glaciers surrounded by highways and human activities are melting at a comparatively faster rate,” Wangchuk said.

With inputs from agencies

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