Leh city lies in the Himalayan Highlands in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It has been a crossroad of civilization since hundreds of years. The old settlement of Leh town lies just below the Leh fort and is one of the last remaining indigenous Himalayan dwelling. Recently Ministry of Housing under RAJIV AWAS YOJNA has declared the old city as slum and plan to rebuild the area with new materials. The step is taken without understanding the cultural and architectural significance of the place. "The spirit of the place" is denounced and whole Ladakhi spirit is torn apart. It is unfortunate that rather than conserving, the Govt. feels it is alright to destroy each and every heritage and start afresh. It is important to conserve the old town so that Leh does not turn into a so called "modern city"

More details: http://mhupa.gov.in/ray/csmc_ppt/6th_csmc_pilotphase_Leh.pdf