Siachen: 40 years of Op Meghdoot

Siachen: 40 years of Op Meghdoot

Subject: Science and tech

Section: Health

Context:

• On April 13, 2024, it has been forty years since the Indian Army gained a strategic position by occupying the glacier before Pakistan could act. 

Conflicting claims:

• Siachen, translating to “land of roses” in the Balti language, is ironically known as the world’s highest and coldest battlefield.
• Strategically located with Pakistan to the left and China to the right, Siachen has been a point of contention since the Partition of India and Pakistan.
• The Line of Control (LoC) was established up to point NJ-9842 by the 1972 Simla agreement, but the glacier area remained unmarked.
• India bases its claim on the area through the Jammu and Kashmir Accession Agreement of 1947 and the Karachi Agreement of 1949, which suggest the ceasefire line extends “Northwards to the glaciers.”
• Pakistan, however, interprets the line as extending “North-Eastwards,” claiming the territory beyond the Saltoro Ridge and Siachen, aiming for direct connectivity to China and strategic control over the Ladakh region and the critical Leh-Srinagar highway, thereby posing a significant threat to India.

Genesis of Operation Meghdoot:

• In the 1970s and 1980s, Pakistan allowed foreign mountaineering expeditions into Siachen as a way to support its territorial claims. In response to intelligence indicating potential Pakistani military action, India launched Operation Meghdoot on April 13, 1984.
• This preemptive military operation aimed to secure control over the 76.4 km-long Siachen Glacier.
• The successful capture was marked by the Indian flag being planted at Bilafond La by Captain Sanjay Kulkarni and his platoon.
• A significant moment came in June 1987 when Indian troops captured the strategically important Quaid post during Operation Rajiv, which was subsequently renamed Bana Top in honour of Naib Subedar Bana Singh, who received India’s highest military honour for his role in the assault.
• Operation Meghdoot remains ongoing, making it the longest-continuous military operation in the world.

Recent developments on the glacier:

• Technological improvements at Siachin include better habitat, communication systems, mobility solutions, logistics, medical support, and green initiatives.
• The glacier itself is experiencing the effects of climate change, evident from the receding of the glacier’s snout by over a kilometre since 1984.
• The implementation of VSAT technology has revolutionized communications, providing troops with data and internet access which enhances real-time situational awareness and telemedicine capabilities.
• Mobility on the glacier has been significantly boosted by the introduction of All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), ATV bridges, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, and logistic drones, which facilitate the delivery of essential supplies to isolated posts during winter months.
• The use of special clothing, advanced mountaineering gear, and timely weather updates helps soldiers endure extreme temperatures that can drop to -60 degrees Celsius.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) plays a critical role, with nearly all types of its aircraft, including Rafale, Su-30MKI, Chinook, Apache, and others, supporting Operation Meghdoot.
• On the medical front, telemedicine capabilities have been expanded with the help of ISRO, while medical facilities at Partapur and Base Camp are equipped with top-notch medical and surgical specialists, high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPO) chambers, and oxygen generation plants, enhancing the medical support available to the troops stationed there.

What next?

• Siachen’s strategic importance is accentuated by its location overlooking the Shaksgam Valley—part of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and near an area ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963 following the India-China war.

Shaksgam Valley:

• The Trans-Karakoram Tract, also known as the Shaksgam Tract, covers approximately 5,200 km² and is located north of the Karakoram watershed, mainly comprising the Shaksgam Valley.
• This area is administered by China as part of Taxkorgan and Yecheng counties in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
• Historically, the tract was under Pakistan’s control since 1947, but through the 1963 Sino-Pakistan Agreement, Pakistan recognized Chinese sovereignty over the area, with both countries agreeing on a border based on actual ground positions.
• India claims the Shaksgam Tract as part of the broader dispute over the Kashmir region.
• The region was historically part of Shigar in the Baltistan region, with cultural ties indicated by infrastructure like polo grounds and local names for geographical features in Balti/Ladakhi languages.
• The area is characterized by extreme terrain with high mountains, bounded by the Kunlun Mountains to the north and the Karakoram peaks, including K2 and Broad Peak, to the south.
• The southeast of the tract is adjacent to the Siachen Glacier region, known as the highest battlefield in the world, currently controlled by India.

Source: TH