Chewang Norphel
{{short description|Indian civil engineer from Ladakh (born 1935)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox engineer
|image = Chewang Norphel in 2009.jpg
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|caption = Norphel in 2009
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|name = Chewang Norphel
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|birth_date = 1935
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|discipline = Civil engineering
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|employer = Jammu and Kashmir rural development department
|significant_projects =
|significant_design = Water catchment; artificial glacier
|significant_advance =
|significant_awards = Padma Shri(2015)
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}}
Chewang Norphel {{needs IPA}} (born 1935) is an Indian civil engineer from Ladakh, who has built 15 artificial glaciers.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/globalwarming/6449982/Indian-engineer-builds-new-glaciers-to-stop-global-warming.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031124640/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/globalwarming/6449982/Indian-engineer-builds-new-glaciers-to-stop-global-warming.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 October 2009|title=Indian engineer 'builds' new glaciers to stop global warming|work=The Telegraph|date=28 October 2009|first=Dean|last=Nelson}} He has earned the title of Ice Man.{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717149,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080301235042/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717149,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=1 March 2008|title='Ice Man' vs. Global Warming|work=Time|date=25 February 2008|first=Heidi|last=Shrager}}
Early life and career
Coming from a middle-class family of Leh, Norphel went to Amar Singh College in Srinagar as a student of science. He completed a diploma course in civil engineering from Lucknow in 1960. In June 1960, he joined the rural development department of Jammu and Kashmir in Ladakh as a civil engineer. He retired in 1995.
Artificial glaciers
In 1996, Norphel joined the Leh Nutrition Project, a non-governmental organisation, as project manager for watershed development.{{cite web|url=http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/methods/harvesters/norphel.htm |title=Water harvesters|publisher=Centre for Science and Environment }}{{cite web|title=Real Heroes|url=http://realheroes.com/2008/inside_environment.php|work=2008|publisher=IBN Live|accessdate=19 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407124637/http://realheroes.com/2008/inside_environment.php|archive-date=7 April 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
Norphel noticed a small stream had frozen solid under the shade of a group of poplar trees, though it flowed freely elsewhere in his yard. He realized the reason for this phenomenon: the flowing water was moving too quickly to freeze, while the sluggish trickle of water beneath the trees was slow enough to freeze. Based on this, he created artificial glaciers by diverting a river into a valley, slowing the stream by constructing checks. The artificial glaciers increase the ground-water recharge, rejuvenating the spring and providing water for irrigation. He constructed them at lower elevations, so that they melt earlier, expanding the growing season.{{cite news|last=Buncombe|first=Andrew|title=Creating glaciers out of thin air|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/creating-glaciers-out-of-thin-air-1875472.html|accessdate=19 February 2013|newspaper=Telegraph|date=22 January 2010}}
By 2012, Norphel had built 12 artificial glaciers. Norphel's largest glacier is the one at the Phuktsey village.{{cite news|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0830_artglacier_2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908110920/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0830_artglacier_2.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 September 2006|title="Artificial Glaciers" Aid Farmers in Himalayas|work=National GeographicNews |date=4 September 2001|first=Pallava|last=Bagla}} It is 1,000 ft long, 150 ft wide and 4 ft in depth. It can supply water for the entire village of 700 people and cost Rs 90,000 to make.{{cite web|url=http://www.ecosensorium.org/2009/11/chewang-norphelthe-ice-man-of-ladakh.html|title=The ice-man of Ladakh brings hope to farmers|publisher=Ecosensorium|date=8 November 2009|access-date=26 April 2012|archive-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428160829/http://www.ecosensorium.org/2009/11/chewang-norphelthe-ice-man-of-ladakh.html|url-status=dead}}
Documentary film-maker Aarti Shrivastava also directed a short film on his life titled White Knight, which was screened at film festivals in India and abroad.
Awards
He is a recipient of the Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 2010.{{cite web | url=http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/awards/archives/2010/science-and-technology/shri-chewang-norphel | title=Jamnalal Bajaj Award | publisher=Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation | date=2015 | accessdate=13 October 2015 }}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, in 2015.{{cite web |title=Padma Awards 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128022143/http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952 |url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=114952 |publisher=Press Information Bureau |accessdate=25 January 2015 |archivedate=28 January 2015 |url-status=dead }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://lnp.org.in/programs/environment/ Leh Nutrition Project]
- {{cite web|url=http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxDelhi-Chewang-Norphel-Artif |title= Chewang Norphel - Artificial Glaciers |publisher=TEDxDelhi|date=27 October 2010}}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.india.youth-leader.org/2011/08/chewang-norphel-the-ice-man-of-ladakh/|title=CHEWANG NORPHEL : THE ICE MAN OF LADAKH|first=Samarpita Mukherjee|last=Sharma|publisher=Youth Leader|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319062311/http://www.india.youth-leader.org/2011/08/chewang-norphel-the-ice-man-of-ladakh/|archivedate=2013-03-19}}
- {{cite web | url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/14672/man-creates-artificial-glaciers-chewang-norphel-ladakh/#sthash.5KTzkBUY.dpuf | publisher=The Better India | title=The Man Who Creates Artificial Glaciers To Meet The Water Needs Of Ladakh | first=Shreya | last=Pareek | date=6 November 2014 | accessdate=18 April 2018 }}
- Gupta, Kanika (13 June 2024). "[https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240612-the-ice-man-of-ladakh-building-artificial-glaciers-in-the-himalayas The Ice Man of Ladakh building artificial glaciers in the Himalayas]". BBC. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
{{Jamnalal Bajaj Award winners}}
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Category:People from Leh district
Category:Indian civil engineers
Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in other fields
Category:Engineers from Jammu and Kashmir