Puga Valley

Puga Valley is a high-altitude geothermal valley in the Changthang region of Ladakh, near Sumdo village, about 180 km southeast of Leh. Situated at around 4,400 meters elevation, it is notable for its natural hot springs, mud pools, sulphur and borax deposits, and geothermal field. The barren, colourful landscape is part of the Changthang cold desert and is studied for geothermal energy potential.

Visitors can expect a vast, barren high-altitude valley with steaming hot springs, bubbling mud pools, sulphur encrustations and white borax deposits spread across the valley floor. The landscape is stark and treeless, surrounded by rolling hills of the Changthang plateau. There are no built structures except for geothermal survey installations and occasional nomadic tents. Visitors can walk along designated areas to view geothermal features and photograph the unique terrain.

Puga Valley has been historically known for its borax and sulphur deposits, with borax extraction carried out in the past for trade. Since the 1970s, the Geological Survey of India and later ONGC have surveyed the valley for its geothermal energy potential, identifying it as one of India's most promising geothermal fields.

Located in the Changthang region, the valley lies within the traditional seasonal grazing grounds of the Changpa nomads, semi-nomadic pastoralists who rear pashmina goats and yaks in the high-altitude plateau.