Ladakh Gets India’s First Model Border Village

Ladakh’s Chumur village in eastern Ladakh has become the site of India’s first model border village near the India-China border. The project is being developed under the Union Government’s Vibrant Villages Programme, which covers border settlements in high-altitude and remote areas.

Chumur and its border location

Chumur is located at an altitude of 16,700 feet in eastern Ladakh. The village has 24 households and a population of 91 people, and many residents are engaged in Pashmina rearing and production. The settlement lies in a strategic border region along the India-China frontier.

Vibrant Villages Programme

The Vibrant Villages Programme is a Central Sector scheme for developing villages in border areas with basic infrastructure and livelihood support. The first phase of the programme includes plans for 10 model border villages. The programme covers infrastructure, employment and livelihood creation, all-weather functionality, and civilian-defence integration.

Planned infrastructure and services

The village will receive climate-resilient south-facing passive solar houses designed for temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius. Each housing unit will include an attached bathroom, an additional room for homestays or tourism, kitchen garden space, livestock sheds, and fodder storage facilities. The project also includes a commercial greenhouse supported by the Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research for year-round vegetable cultivation. The village will have water supply, sanitation, renewable energy-based power, digital connectivity, a school, a Primary Health Centre, a community hall, parks, a community café, and a Tourist Interpretation Centre.

Livelihood and local economy

The project includes tourism-linked development along the Korzok–Hanle circuit. It also supports Pashmina-based livelihoods and handicrafts in a region where animal husbandry and wool production remain important economic activities.

Important Facts for Exams

• Chumur is located in eastern Ladakh at an altitude of 16,700 feet.
• The village has 24 households and a population of 91 people.
• The Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research works on high-altitude agriculture and related technologies.
• Pashmina comes from the fine undercoat of the Changthangi goat, which is reared in Ladakh.

The housing units are expected to be completed by September 2026, subject to weather conditions. The project is among the first model border village initiatives in India under the Vibrant Villages Programme.