Leh, Sept 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Chumur, a forward village in Ladakh close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), later this month and inaugurate works under the Vibrant Villages Programme, sources said.
The proposed visit would be PM Modi’s second visit to a forward area near the LAC in Ladakh since the deadly Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese troops in June 2020.
On June 15, 2020, 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in the violent confrontation in the Galwan Valley. Reports had said an equal number of Chinese soldiers were killed, though Beijing officially acknowledged a lower figure. No firearms were used during the clash.
Modi had made an unannounced visit to the forward village of Nimu on July 3, 2020, shortly after the Galwan clash. Located at around 11,000 feet, Nimu was visited by the Prime Minister to interact with troops and review the security situation.
He later visited Drass and Leh on July 26, 2024, but did not travel to the LAC.
Chumur, located at an altitude of around 16,700 feet, has 24 households and a population of 91. Situated close to the LAC, the village is known for Pashmina goat rearing and wool production. It is also Ladakh’s first Model Border Village and forms part of the Korzok-Hanle Tourism Circuit.
The administration, with support from the Centre, launched multiple development works in Chumur under the Vibrant Villages Programme earlier this year. The initiative seeks to strengthen infrastructure, generate employment and livelihood opportunities, ensure all-weather functionality and integrate civil-defence preparedness.
Beginning with Chumur, 10 border villages are planned to be developed as Model Border Villages in the first phase of the programme.
Under the initiative, climate-resilient, south-facing passive solar houses will be provided to families to maximise solar heat gain and protect residents from the harsh winters, when temperatures can fall to minus 35 degrees Celsius.
Each residential unit will include an attached bathroom, an additional room suitable for homestay activities, kitchen garden space, livestock sheds and dedicated fodder storage facilities.
The project aims to transform Chumur into a self-reliant, climate-resilient and tourism-enabled border settlement while improving the quality of life for residents living in the high-altitude frontier region.
