KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Siachen River that is discharging the glacial melt from the Siachen glacier, world’s only high-altitude sub-celsius battlefield, is exhibiting frequent floods.
The government on Saturday said it is providing funds for “protection bunds” along river Siachen on vulnerable spots everywhere under district plan to protect the cultivable lands “from being eroded by frequent floods in the Siachen river”.
At the same time, the government has drafted a Detailed Project Report of Rs 340.253 crore for protection and taming of River Siachen for a length of 59 kms. It was prepared by Srinagar based Skytech Engineers and is lying with the LAHDC. The government revelations were in response to a question that lawmaker Deldan Namgial had asked.
Siachen glacier is the coldest battlefield of earth where India and Pakistan have been battling since 1984. Though the two countries see a strategic worth in the glacier, a general impression across the world is that it depicts two bald men fighting over a comb. One highly impressive suggestion was to demilitarize and convert it into a science park, an idea that PDP picked as part of its electoral manifesto. India and Pakistan had already concluded a series of talks and were inches away from signing a peace deal but that did not happen at the last moment.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Lok Sabha in April that 41 soldiers were washed away in the glacier since 2013. These included 10 soldiers in 2013, eight and nine in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Till March 31, 14 soldiers have died this year, he said.
The glacier melting waters feeds the Nubra River, locally called Siachen Nulla and drains into Shyok River and eventually into the 3000 kms long Indus River and gets into Pakistan.
