Survival at 15,000 feet: A tiny Himalayan village in Kinnaur district fights for water and jobs

Tashigang: Tucked high in the icy Himalayas at an altitude 15,256 feet, this small village, which houses the world’s highest polling station serving just 62 voters, tells a tale of survival among the harshest odds and the many vagaries of climate change.

As Tashigang and neighbouring Gete prepare to vote on Saturday in the last lap of the seven-phase elections, the demand for jobs and livelihoods in the face of dwindling agriculture returns, water and roads echo loud in the desolate, rugged landscape.

Kalzang Dolma, for instance, said she struggles to pay her daughter's school fees after losing her job with the state's Public Welfare Department, which paid her a "decent" Rs 13,000 a month. Her family of six has reverted to agriculture, which was their primary source of income until Dolma joined the PWD's road construction team as a contractual worker.

They primarily grow peas but that is barely enough to make ends meet.

"Pea production has plummeted from 100 gunny sacks a decade ago to 20-25 sacks now. As a result, we purchase less rations and consume less," Dolma told PTI.

Since Tashigang doesn't have a school, her five-year-old daughter studies in a boarding school in Kaza, the headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, around 30 km away.

"With my job gone and agriculture in decline, we could barely pay the school fees for our daughter this year," the 30-year-old said, trying to smile but not really succeeding.

She is not the only one to have lost her job. Several others who worked as contractual workers like her are grappling with uncertainty and have asked the government to give them permanent jobs. Agriculture is just not viable any more, they said.

Water scarcity in Tashigang, which has been in the record books since 2019 as the highest polling station in the world, has made farming increasingly difficult.

Tashigang is part of the Spiti Valley, which is situated in a rain shadow area so there is little to no rainfall. People depend on glaciers and snowfall for water. However, the glaciers are retreating rapidly, and snowfall has been decreasing over the years, which experts say is a direct result of climate change.

Located near the India-China border, Spiti Valley is part of the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, one of the four parliamentary constituencies in Himachal Pradesh and the second largest in India. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut is up against Congress’ Vikramaditya Singh in the constituency.

The polling station at Tashigang, serving 62 voters from Tashigang and Gete, has been made a model polling booth.

According to Guman Singh of the NGO Himalayan Niti Abhiyan, streams and ponds that provide water for irrigation and domestic needs of the high-altitude villages like Tashigang and Gete are drying up fast due to increasing temperatures and inadequate snowfall.

The only source of rainfall and snowfall in the region is western disturbances (WD), low-pressure systems that travel from the Mediterranean region.

"The frequency of WDs has reduced, and people are reporting that snowfall has shifted to the later part of winter, which is too late for agriculture," said Madhavan Rajeevan, former secretary of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Changing climate is taking a toll on the families in these villages, which have few livelihood options.

Tending to his yak, Tanzin Takpa, 54, said residents of Tashigang and neighbouring villages grow only green peas and barley during summer months when temperatures range from 5 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Winters are harsh and inhospitable, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 35 degrees Celsius. The hills remain buried in snow, and the sole dirt road connecting Tashigang to Kaza is closed, confining families to their mud-and-brick homes for six months.

Takpa, whose son worked with the road construction team of the PWD, said a regular job would provide them with a steady income year-round.

With their demand to regularise their jobs falling on deaf ears, Takpa said families in Tashigang had decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections.

However, some politicians came and said they could only help if residents of the village voted during the June 1 elections.

"All of them say they will provide us with water and permanent jobs if they win. What options do we have? We have all decided to vote now with the hope that our demands for water for irrigation and employment are met," Kunchok Choden, 23, told PTI.

The stories find wide echo.

Kalzang Namgial, 40, from Gete village with a total population of around 30, said residents face major challenges due to the lack of a proper road.

"The dirt road connecting Tashigang, Gete, Kibber and other villages to Kaza was constructed around 25-30 years ago. A pucca road could bring tourists here, which will give us another livelihood option," he said.

Asked if any of the main contestants came, he laughed, "Sixty-two is a very small number for them." Residents depend on springs for water supply for domestic and agricultural needs. Since snowfall is declining and happening late, springs are not getting adequately recharged, he said.

People like Tanzin Tumdon, 60, of Tashigang even opened a homestay, but barely any tourist stays a night in the village due to the lack of a road.

Will elections really change things for them? The villagers certainly hope so.