Four Indian Army personnel and two civilian porters were killed after they were hit by an avalanche in the northern part of the Siachen glacier on November 18. A group of eight persons, including six Army personnel, were struck by the avalanche at an altitude of 19,000 ft.

Two Army personnel survived the avalanche. Rescue teams from nearby posts were rushed to the location after the incident, an Army spokesperson said.

“All eight personnel were pulled out of the debris. Seven individuals were critically injured in the incident,” he said.

Despite the army’s best efforts, four soldiers and two civilian porters succumbed to extreme hypothermia, he said.

At a height of 20,000 ft, the Siachen glacier is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Avalanches and landslides are common during winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.

Geography

Also known as the Third Pole, Siachen glacier is the largest glacier in the Karakoram and the world’s second largest non-polar glacier after Fedchenko glacier in Tajikistan. The Lambert-Fisher glacier in Antarctica is the world’s largest.

Siachen is the largest source of freshwater in the Indian subcontinent. It is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas. It is the source of the Nubra river, which eventually feeds the mighty Indus. Siachen is near the Karakoram pass, forming almost a triangle with India, China and territory occupied by Pakistan touching the edges.

The glacier stretches for 76 km and lies just northeast of the point NJ9842, where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. The glacier flows from an altitude of 5,750 m above sea level at its head at Indira Col on the China border to 3,620 m above sea level. The Siachen glacier and its tributaries cover an area of 700 sq km and has been under India’s administrative control since 1984.

The dispute

* In the 1972 Simla Agreement, Siachen was termed as barren land. But this agreement did not determine the boundary between India and Pakistan. India received intelligence in 1984 that Pakistan had ordered gear in a bid to capture the Siachen glacier. But before the consignment could arrive, India deployed its troops on Bilafond La Pass.

* India launched Operation Meghdoot (named after the divine cloud messenger in a Sanskrit play of Kalidasa) on April 13, 1984 when the Kumaon Regiment reached the glacier.

* The Pakistan Army also tried to occupy the glacier on April 25, 1984 but had to return due to poor weather conditions. Finally, on June 25, 1987, Pakistan achieved success in setting up a ‘Quaid Post’ at an altitude of 21,000 ft.

* In 2003, India and Pakistan signed an armistice treaty. Since then, firing and bombardment has ceased, but both armies remain stationed here. India has deployed around 10,000 soldiers on the Siachen glacier.

Current status

* At present, Indian Army controls the entire Saltoro ridge. There is no presence of Pakistani troops on the Siachen glacier. Moreover, the nearest Pakistani locations are on the lower reaches of the Saltoro ridge. Since India managed to get the upper hand, it currently controls all heights along the glacier on the Saltoro ridge and uses the glacier as a logistics base.

* Since 2007, India has also been promoting treks and expeditions by civilians and foreigners in the vicinity of the glacier to reaffirm its claim on the region. The Army gives permission to mountaineers to climb peaks in the Eastern Karakoram adjoining the glacier. The Army also holds a civilian Siachen expedition every year and will in the future invite foreigners to trek up the glacier.

Tough terrain

* The Siachen glacier offers an inhospitable terrain marked by extremes of temperature and has no mercy for the soldiers stationed there. Most soldiers die owing to climatic conditions and environmental factors rather than battle wounds. The recent example is the death of 10 soldiers of the Madras Regiment. Due to global warming, it is feared that the soldiers posted in Siachen are more vulnerable to natural disasters.

* According to government estimates, 869 Indian troops have died on the Siachen glacier from 1984 to 2015. In 2012, 129 soldiers of the Pakistan military and 11 civilians perished after a massive avalanche struck them.

Expensive affair

* As per government data, India has invested more than Rs 7,500 crore for the procurement of high-quality equipment and clothing for soldiers posted in high-altitude areas. It is estimated that on an average, India spends Rs 5 crore a day for manning the Siachen glacier.

* India has categorically rejected any troop withdrawal from the Siachen glacier as it is not ready to trust Pakistan, especially after the Kargil War.

* India has stated it can only do so with proper delineation, authentication and acceptance of the current positions by the Pakistani side.

The strategic angle

* Siachen is strategically located between Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and China. Keeping hold of the glacier is important in the backdrop of construction of the Karakoram highway and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. There are security implications for the Nubra, Shyok and Ladakh regions.

* India presently occupies all the vital strategic heights on the glacier and the withdrawal of troops to lower areas may prompt Pakistan to occupy them. To regain the vital commanding heights would be next to impossible after withdrawing from them.

* India feels that Siachen is its territory and rightfully belongs to it. So, it becomes the duty of the armed forces to guard them. It is argued that the Indian Army also guards similar inhospitable terrains like Drass and Kargil. If troop withdrawal is necessary in Siachen due to the unfavourable terrain, then it may also be necessary in Drass and Kargil. But events like Kargil War provide enough reason to station the troops in these regions.

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