Posts in Kargil and Drass sectors are located at a height of over 20,000 feet and troops operate in conditions similar to those experienced on Siachen.
SIACHEN: Eight years after successfully evicting Pakistan troops who captured strategic heights, soldiers in Drass and Kargil may finally get equipment and clothing similar to that used by forces on Siachen glacier.
The demand, which came up during the tenure of the previous NDA regime, has finally been addressed by the UPA government as part of efforts to meet the requirements of soldiers defending the country in inhospitable terrain.
"We have finalised the requirements of troops deployed in Kargil and Drass and hopefully the equipment will be provided to them before the onset of this winter," said Lt Gen S S Dhillon, the army's Master General of Ordinance.
Posts in Kargil and Drass sectors like Tiger Hill, Point 5480 and Batalik are located at a height of over 20,000 feet and troops operate in conditions and temperatures similar to those experienced on Siachen, the world's highest battlefield.
The kit for a solider posted on Siachen comprises nearly 55 to 60 items, including special clothing, sleeping bags and special food. These will now be provided to troops deployed in Kargil, Drass and the Sikkim sector in the eastern region.
Dhillon, who is responsible for equipping troops, said the decision to this effect was taken in early 2006 and its implementation, after rigorous tests by the Director General of Quality Assurance and trial runs, would be completed before the onset of winter this year.
He said of the items supplied to soldiers deployed at high altitudes, 19 were imported while the remaining were manufactured indigenously by various firms and the Ordinance Factory Board in consultation with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The troops in Kargil and Drass will also get the latest avalanche warning system, which will help in minimising casualities due to hostile weather conditions.
The need for providing such gear to troops in Drass and Kargil was felt after the 1999 intrusion by Pakistani forces. The army had to wage a 65-day campaign to evict the intruders from Indian territory.
During "Operation Vijay", the army suffered casualities due to both enemy action and the hostile terrain and climate, with temperatures falling below zero. After evicting the intruders, the army decided to man all high-altitude posts in Kargil and Drass round the year. The posts, a majority of which are at an altitude of 18,000 to 20,000 feet, were earlier vacated in winter.
"The soldiers also face harsh winters similar to those in Siachen, with tempteratures falling to minus 30 to 40 degrees Celsius. They need to be taken care of at the earliest," Dhillon, who was part of the team that accompanied Defence Minister A K Antony on a visit to this sector in northern Jammu and Kashmir last week, said.
Weather conditions in the higher reaches of Sikkim too are similar to those on Siachen and the government therefore decided to upgrade the equipment provided to soldiers in that sector, Dhillon said.
During Antony's two-day visit to the region, Defence Production Secretary K P Singh held consultations with senior officials of the Leh-based 14 Corps to ensure that the necessary equipment is supplied before the onset of winter.
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