Siachen Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram
range in the Himalaya Mountains at about 35.5°N 77.0°E, just east of the Line of Control
between India
-Pakistan
. India controls all of the Siachen Glacier itself, including all tributary glaciers. At 70 km (43.5 mi) long, it is the longest glacier
in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world's non-polar areas. It falls from an altitude of 5,753 m (18,875 ft) above sea level
at its head at Indira Col
on the China border down to 3,620 m (11,875 ft) at its terminus
.
The Siachen Glacier lies immediately south of the great watershed
that separates China
from the Indian subcontinent
in the extensively glaciated portion of the Karakoram that is sometimes called the "Third Pole." The glacier lies between the Saltoro Ridge immediately to the west and the main Karakoram range to the east. The Saltoro Ridge originates in the north from the Sia Kangri peak on the China border in the Karakoram range. The crest of the Saltoro Ridge's altitudes range from 5,450 to 7,720 m (17,880 to 25,330 feet). The major passes on this ridge are, from north to south, Sia La
at 5,589 m (18,336 ft), Bilafond La
at 5,450 m (17,880 ft), and Gyong La
at 5,689 m (18,665 ft) The average winter snowfall is 10.5 m (35 ft) and temperatures can dip to -50 C. Including all tributary glaciers, the Siachen Glacier system covers about 700 km² (270.3 sq mi).
Indian army checkposts are located on the Siachen glacier. The world's highest battlefield is also located on the glacier at a height of 6,400 m above sea level. GSM mobile service was launched in 2009 near the army base camp.
family plant widely dispersed in the region. "Chun" references any object found in abundance. Thus the name Siachen refers to a land with an abundance of roses. The naming of the glacier itself, or at least its currency, is attributed to Tom Longstaff.
, which drains into the Shyok River
. The Shyok in turn joins the Indus River
; thus, the glacier is a major source of the Indus. Global warming
has had one of its worst impacts here in the Himalayas with the glaciers melting at an unprecedented rate and monsoon rains now appearing north of the mountains. The volume of the glacier has been significantly reduced over recent decades. Military activity since 1984 has caused general environmental degradation on the glacier, and may be contributing in a relatively small degree to localized melting .
The glacier's region is the highest battleground on earth, where India
and Pakistan have fought intermittently since April 1984. Both countries maintain permanent military presence in the region at a height of over 6000 metres (19,685 ft). The site is one of the most eminent examples of mountain warfare
.
Both India and Pakistan have wished to disengage from the costly military outposts. However, after the Pakistani incursions during the Kargil War
in 1999, India abandoned plans to withdraw from Siachen without official recognition of the current line of control by Pakistan, wary of further Pakistani incursions if they vacate the Siachen Glacier posts without such recognition.
During her tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan
, Benazir Bhutto
, visited the area west of Gyong La, making her the first premier from either side to get to the Siachen region. On 12 June 2005, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
became the first Indian Prime Minister
to visit the area, calling for a peaceful resolution of the problem. In the previous year, the President of India
, Abdul Kalam
became the first head of state
to visit the area.
India based Jet Airways
plans to open a chartered service to the glacier's nearest airlink, the Thoise
airbase
, mainly for military purposes. Pakistan International Airlines
flies tourists and trekkers
daily to Skardu
, which is the jumping off point for K2
, the world's second highest peak just 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) northwest of the Siachen area, although bad weather frequently grounds these scheduled flights.
Since September 2007, India has opened up mountaineering and trekking expeditions to the forbidding glacial heights. The first group included cadets from Chail Military School
, National Defence Academy, National Cadet Corps
, Indian Military Academy
, Rashtriya Indian Military College and family members of armed forces officers. The expeditions are also meant to show to the international audience that Indian troops hold "almost all dominating heights" on the important Saltoro Ridge and to show that Pakistani troops are not within 24km of the 70km Siachen Glacier. Ignoring protests from Pakistan, India maintains that it does not need anyone's approval to send trekkers to Siachen, in what it says is essentially its own territory. In addition, the Indian Army
's Army Mountaineering Institute (AMI) functions out of the region.
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1984/290-Confrontation.html
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
range in the Himalaya Mountains at about 35.5°N 77.0°E, just east of the Line of Control
Line of Control
The term Line of Control refers to the military control line between the Indian- and Pakistani-controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which, to this day, does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary but is the de facto border...
between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
-Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. India controls all of the Siachen Glacier itself, including all tributary glaciers. At 70 km (43.5 mi) long, it is the longest glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world's non-polar areas. It falls from an altitude of 5,753 m (18,875 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
at its head at Indira Col
Indira Col
The Indira Col is a col on the Indira Ridge in the Siachen Muztagh in the Karakoram Range. It is within a couple kilometers of a tripoint where territories controlled by India, Pakistan and China meet....
on the China border down to 3,620 m (11,875 ft) at its terminus
Glacier terminus
A glacier terminus, or snout, is the end of a glacier at any given point in time. Although glaciers seem motionless to the observer, in reality glaciers are in endless motion and the glacier terminus is always either advancing or retreating...
.
The Siachen Glacier lies immediately south of the great watershed
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
that separates China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
from the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
in the extensively glaciated portion of the Karakoram that is sometimes called the "Third Pole." The glacier lies between the Saltoro Ridge immediately to the west and the main Karakoram range to the east. The Saltoro Ridge originates in the north from the Sia Kangri peak on the China border in the Karakoram range. The crest of the Saltoro Ridge's altitudes range from 5,450 to 7,720 m (17,880 to 25,330 feet). The major passes on this ridge are, from north to south, Sia La
Sia La
Sia La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, some north-northwest of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan as part of the Simla Agreement...
at 5,589 m (18,336 ft), Bilafond La
Bilafond La
Bilafond La , also known as the Saltoro Pass, is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between Pakistan and India as part of the Simla...
at 5,450 m (17,880 ft), and Gyong La
Gyong La
Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan...
at 5,689 m (18,665 ft) The average winter snowfall is 10.5 m (35 ft) and temperatures can dip to -50 C. Including all tributary glaciers, the Siachen Glacier system covers about 700 km² (270.3 sq mi).
Indian army checkposts are located on the Siachen glacier. The world's highest battlefield is also located on the glacier at a height of 6,400 m above sea level. GSM mobile service was launched in 2009 near the army base camp.
Naming
"Sia" in the Balti language refers to the roseRose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
family plant widely dispersed in the region. "Chun" references any object found in abundance. Thus the name Siachen refers to a land with an abundance of roses. The naming of the glacier itself, or at least its currency, is attributed to Tom Longstaff.
Melting
The glacier's melting waters are the main source of the Nubra River in India LadakhLadakh
Ladakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
, which drains into the Shyok River
Shyok River
The Shyok River flows through northern Ladakh in India and the Northern Areas of Pakistan , spanning some .The Shyok River, a tributary of the Indus River, originates from the Rimo Glacier, one of the tongues of Siachen Glacier. The river widens at the confluence with the Nubra River...
. The Shyok in turn joins the Indus River
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
; thus, the glacier is a major source of the Indus. Global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
has had one of its worst impacts here in the Himalayas with the glaciers melting at an unprecedented rate and monsoon rains now appearing north of the mountains. The volume of the glacier has been significantly reduced over recent decades. Military activity since 1984 has caused general environmental degradation on the glacier, and may be contributing in a relatively small degree to localized melting .
Border conflict
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan have fought intermittently since April 1984. Both countries maintain permanent military presence in the region at a height of over 6000 metres (19,685 ft). The site is one of the most eminent examples of mountain warfare
Mountain warfare
Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...
.
Both India and Pakistan have wished to disengage from the costly military outposts. However, after the Pakistani incursions during the Kargil War
Kargil War
The Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
in 1999, India abandoned plans to withdraw from Siachen without official recognition of the current line of control by Pakistan, wary of further Pakistani incursions if they vacate the Siachen Glacier posts without such recognition.
During her tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
, Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, visited the area west of Gyong La, making her the first premier from either side to get to the Siachen region. On 12 June 2005, Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
became the first Indian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
to visit the area, calling for a peaceful resolution of the problem. In the previous year, the President of India
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
, Abdul Kalam
Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is a renowned aerospace engineer, professor , and first Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram , who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007...
became the first head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
to visit the area.
India based Jet Airways
Jet Airways
Jet Airways is a major Indian airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is India's largest airline and the market leader in the domestic sector. It operates over 400 flights daily to 76 destinations worldwide. Its main hub is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, with secondary hubs at Delhi,...
plans to open a chartered service to the glacier's nearest airlink, the Thoise
Thoise
Thoise is a military airfield and small village in Shyok Valley, Jammu and Kashmir, India, occupying the only large piece of flat land in the area...
airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
, mainly for military purposes. Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines
Pakistan International Airlines Corporation commonly known as PIA, is the flag carrier airline of Pakistan. The airline has its head office on the grounds of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi. and operates scheduled services to 24 domestic destinations and 38 international destinations in 27...
flies tourists and trekkers
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
daily to Skardu
Skardu
Skardu , is the main town of the region Baltistan and the capital of Skardu District, one of the districts making up Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan....
, which is the jumping off point for K2
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
, the world's second highest peak just 33 kilometres (20.5 mi) northwest of the Siachen area, although bad weather frequently grounds these scheduled flights.
Since September 2007, India has opened up mountaineering and trekking expeditions to the forbidding glacial heights. The first group included cadets from Chail Military School
Chail Military School
Chail Military School is a residential school in Himachal Pradesh, India, established after the First World War in 1922 with a donation of 250,000 from King George V’s patriotic fund. The foundation stone of the school was laid by King George V in February 1922...
, National Defence Academy, National Cadet Corps
National Cadet Corps (India)
The National Cadet Corps is the Indian military cadet corps with its Headquarters at New Delhi. It is open to school and college students on voluntary basis....
, Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
, Rashtriya Indian Military College and family members of armed forces officers. The expeditions are also meant to show to the international audience that Indian troops hold "almost all dominating heights" on the important Saltoro Ridge and to show that Pakistani troops are not within 24km of the 70km Siachen Glacier. Ignoring protests from Pakistan, India maintains that it does not need anyone's approval to send trekkers to Siachen, in what it says is essentially its own territory. In addition, the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
's Army Mountaineering Institute (AMI) functions out of the region.
See also
- Sia LaSia LaSia La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, some north-northwest of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan as part of the Simla Agreement...
- Bilafond LaBilafond LaBilafond La , also known as the Saltoro Pass, is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between Pakistan and India as part of the Simla...
- Gyong LaGyong LaGyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan...
- List of glaciers
- Actual Ground Position LineActual Ground Position LineThe Actual Ground Position Line refers to the current position that divides Indian and Pakistani troops at the Siachen Glacier. The line extends from the northernmost point of the LOC to Indira Col.-History:...
External links
- Video about the Conflict in the Siachen area and its consequences
- Siachen Peace Park Initiative
- Blankonthemap The Northern Kashmir WebSite
- Outside magazine article about Siachen battleground
- BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
report: Nuclear rivals in Siachen talks; May 26, 2005 - Siachen - A War for ice - An awarded documentary on the Siachen War
- Why Siachen Matters?
http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1984/290-Confrontation.html