Karzok
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Karzok or Korzok (at an altitude of 14,995ft or 4,570 m to 15,075ft or 4,595 m above sea level), on the northwestern shores of the Tso Moriri lake, is a village in the Rupshu region and a block of the Changthang district in Ladakh, India.
Karzok is among the highest permanent settlements in the world. It is located 60 km southwest of Nyoma, 40 km south of Puga separated by Salt Valley, and 80-100 km northwest of Chumur. The Korzok Monastery, of Drukpa Tibetan Buddhist lineage, is located here.
History
Karzok was on the Central Asian trade route until 1947 and was the headquarters of the Rupshu Valley. One of the kings, Rupshu Goba, who lived there with his family, built nine permanent houses there.
The village has several houses, and the nomadic population who establish their tents (made of yak hair or skin) in summer, add to the agricultural operations in the region. The tents are provided with vents at the top to let out the smoke. Pashmina is the valuable product that the Changmas trade along with the salt that they extract from large salt fields in the area, such as the springs at Puga. They barter these two products for food grains and other necessities. In recent years, building activity is on the rise with the nomadic tribes changing their lifestyle.
Geography
Karzok in Changthang plateau lies on the northwest bank of the salt lake, Tso Moriri, north of which lies the Salt Valley. The Salt Valley has the Kyago Tso salt lake surrounded by several glaciated mountain peaks including the Karzok Kangri (6,110m/20,046ft, also called Korzok Kangri) which lies immediate south of Spangnak Ri and northwest of Karzok.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census of India, Karzok has 253 households. The effective literacy rate (i.e. the literacy rate of population excluding children aged 6 and below) is 46.64%.
| Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1291 | 673 | 618 |
| Children aged below 6 years | 189 | 102 | 87 |
| Scheduled caste | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Scheduled tribe | 931 | 485 | 446 |
| Literates | 514 | 292 | 222 |
| Workers (all) | 813 | 450 | 363 |
| Main workers (total) | 315 | 225 | 90 |
| Main workers: Cultivators | 257 | 192 | 65 |
| Main workers: Agricultural labourers | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Main workers: Household industry workers | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Main workers: Other | 49 | 31 | 18 |
| Marginal workers (total) | 498 | 225 | 273 |
| Marginal workers: Cultivators | 224 | 117 | 107 |
| Marginal workers: Agricultural labourers | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Marginal workers: Household industry workers | 126 | 19 | 107 |
| Marginal workers: Others | 141 | 86 | 55 |
| Non-workers | 478 | 223 | 255 |
Climate
Karzok has a subarctic climate (Köppen classification Dfc) bordering on a tundra climate (ET). Summers are cool with chilly nights, and winters are long and cold with highs below zero.
| Climate data for Karzok | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.2 (19.0) | −5.4 (22.3) | −1.2 (29.8) | 4.3 (39.7) | 9.2 (48.6) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.9 (62.4) | 16.2 (61.2) | 12.9 (55.2) | 6.5 (43.7) | 1.2 (34.2) | −3.5 (25.7) | 5.3 (41.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.1 (8.4) | −11.2 (11.8) | −6.8 (19.8) | −1.5 (29.3) | 2.9 (37.2) | 7.4 (45.3) | 10.7 (51.3) | 10.2 (50.4) | 6.4 (43.5) | −0.2 (31.6) | −5.6 (21.9) | −10.0 (14.0) | −0.9 (30.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −18.9 (−2.0) | −16.9 (1.6) | −12.4 (9.7) | −7.2 (19.0) | −3.3 (26.1) | 0.9 (33.6) | 4.5 (40.1) | 4.2 (39.6) | 0.0 (32.0) | −6.8 (19.8) | −12.4 (9.7) | −16.5 (2.3) | −7.1 (19.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 22 (0.9) | 21 (0.8) | 24 (0.9) | 19 (0.7) | 19 (0.7) | 9 (0.4) | 28 (1.1) | 34 (1.3) | 23 (0.9) | 12 (0.5) | 7 (0.3) | 12 (0.5) | 230 (9) |
| Source: climate-data.com |
Transport
From the north, Karzok is reachable via Sumdo, on the Miroo-Puga-Sumdo-Mahe Road (MPSM Road) which begins at NH-3 (Miroo) and ends at Leh-Nyoma Road (Mahe). From Sumdo, the Karzok is at the southern end of 40km long Sumdo-Karzok Road.
From the south, the Karzok is reachable via Sumdo Kaza (in Himachal Pradesh) by the 125km long Kiato-Karzok Road via the Takling La being constructed by the BRO as the fourth road to Ladakh.