44-881: Chumik Glacier is located in the Siachen region, in Pakistan . Located on the west of Saltoro ridge , it is a 4-mile-long offshoot of the Bilafond Glacier . In military terminology, Chumik is a minor sub sector of Bilafond Sub Sector, near Gyong La . In March 1989, Indian Army launched the Operation Ibex to seize the Pakistani post overlooking the Chumik Glacier. The operation was unsuccessful at dislodging Pakistani troops from their positions. The Indian Army under Brig. R. K. Nanavatty then launched an artillery attack on Kauser Base,
88-547: A glacier in Pakistan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a glacier in India is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about 35°25′16″N 77°06′34″E / 35.421226°N 77.109540°E / 35.421226; 77.109540 , just northeast of
132-570: A bacterium that can thrive in extreme weather conditions and can be helpful in decomposing the biodegradable waste naturally. The flora and fauna of the Siachen region are also affected by the huge military presence. The region is home to rare species including snow leopard , brown bear and ibex that are at risk because of the military presence. The glacier's region is the highest battleground on Earth, where Pakistan and India have fought intermittently since April 1984. Both countries maintain
176-590: A conference at Geneva and invited Indian and Pakistani mountaineers ( Mandip Singh Soin , Harish Kapadia , Nazir Sabir and Sher Khan). The region was nominated for inclusion in the United Nations ' World Heritage List as a part of the Karakoram range, but this was deferred by the World Heritage Committee . The areas to the east and west of the Siachen region have already been declared national parks:
220-420: A high-altitude research centre where scientists and researchers from both the countries can carry out research activities related to glaciology, geology, atmospheric sciences and other related fields. The Siachen glacier was mentioned in the 2018 Hollywood movie Mission: Impossible – Fallout starring Tom Cruise and Henry Cavill . In the movie's climax, rogue agent Walker (Cavill) plants nuclear bombs at
264-475: A military operation that gave India control over all of the Siachen Glacier, including its tributaries. Between 1984 and 1999, frequent skirmishes took place between India and Pakistan. Indian troops under Operation Meghdoot pre-empted Pakistan's Operation Ababeel by just one day to occupy most of the dominating heights on Saltoro Ridge to the west of Siachen Glacier. However, more soldiers have died from
308-474: A permanent military presence in the region at a height of over 6,000 m (20,000 ft). Both India and Pakistan have wished to disengage from the costly military outposts. India launched Operation Meghdoot to occupy Siachen Glacier in 1984. Then, due to the Pakistani incursions during the Kargil War in 1999, India abandoned plans to withdraw from Siachen, wary of further Pakistani incursions if they vacate
352-746: A written reply in the Lok Sabha that a total of 869 Army personnel have died on the Siachen glacier due to climatic conditions and environmental and other factors from the date that the Army launched Operation Meghdoot in 1984. In February 2016, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar stated that India will not vacate Siachen, as there is a trust deficit with Pakistan and also said that 915 people have died in Siachen since Operation Meghdoot in 1984. According to official records, only 220 Indian soldiers have been killed by enemy bullets since 1984 in Siachen area. Both India and Pakistan continue to deploy thousands of troops in
396-477: Is said to have planned a "Green Siachen, Clean Siachen" campaign to airlift the garbage from the glacier, and to use biodigestors for biodegradable waste in the absence of oxygen and freezing temperatures. Almost forty percent (40%) of the waste left at the glacier is plastic and metal, including toxins such as cobalt, cadmium and chromium that eventually affect the water of the Shyok River (which ultimately enters
440-664: The Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary in India and the Central Karakoram National Park in Pakistan. Sandia National Laboratories organised conferences where military experts and environmentalists from both India and Pakistan and also from other countries were invited to present joint papers. Kent L. Biringer, a researcher at Cooperative Monitoring Center of Sandia Labs suggested setting up Siachen Science Center ,
484-781: The Selkirks (with Wheeler ). Before the Great War , he travelled in Tibet in 1905, ascended Trisul in the Himalayas, 1907, and in 1908 he was awarded the Gill Memorial by the Royal Geographical Society for his work in the Himalaya and Tibet. He went on to explore the Siachen Glacier and, with A.M. Slingsby , he discovered the peaks of Teram Kangri in 1909. It has been written that
SECTION 10
#1732872735792528-549: The Shyok River . The Shyok in turn joins the 3000 kilometre-long Indus River which flows through Pakistan. Thus, the glacier is a major source of the Indus and feeds the largest irrigation system in the world. The glacier was uninhabited before 1984, and the presence of thousands of troops since then has introduced pollution and melting to the glacier. To support the troops, glacial ice has been cut and melted with chemicals. Dumping of non- biodegradable waste in large quantities and
572-512: The 110-km long AGPL is first authenticated, delineated and then demarcated. The 1949 Karachi agreement only carefully delineated the line of separation to point NJ9842 , after which, the agreement states, the line of separation would continue "thence north to the glaciers". According to the Indian stance, the line of separation should continue roughly northwards along the Saltoro Range to
616-678: The India/Pakistan Himalayas in 1907. He also made important explorations and climbs in Tibet , Nepal , the Karakoram , Spitsbergen , Greenland , and Baffin Island . He was a founding member of The Alpine Ski Club in 1908 and the Himalayan Club (1929), was elected as an Honorary Member of the Climbers Club in 1932 and was its President from 1933–1935 and was president of the (British) Alpine Club from 1947 to 1949. Longstaff
660-541: The Indian Army should stay in the region for strategic advantages, and because a "lot of blood has been shed" by Indian armed personnel for Siachen. The present ground positions, relatively stable for over a decade, mean that India maintains control over all of the 76 kilometres (47 mi) Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as all the main passes and heights of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of
704-569: The Indian side, roads go only as far as the military base camp at Dzingrulma ( 35°09′59″N 77°12′58″E / 35.1663°N 77.2162°E / 35.1663; 77.2162 ), 72 km from the head of the glacier. The Indian Army has developed various means to reach the Siachen region, including the Manali - Leh - Khardung La -Siachen route. In 2012, Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army General Bikram Singh said that
748-511: The Indus River near Skardu ). The Indus is used for drinking and irrigation. Research is being done by scientists of The Energy and Resources Institute , to find ways to successfully dispose of the garbage generated at the glacier using scientific means. Some scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation who went on an expedition to Antarctica are also working to produce
792-420: The Pakistani logistical node on Chumik Glacier. The destruction of Kauser Base induced Pakistani troops to vacate their Chumik posts just west of Gyong La, and Operation Ibex concluded. Chumik Glacier to this day is under the control of Pakistani forces, the Pakistani forces are stationed on a post called "Sher Post" which is perched on a ridge at the head of the Chumik Glacier at 19,000 feet. This article about
836-437: 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 more than 1000 cm (35 ft) and temperatures can dip to −50 °C (−58 °F). Including all tributary glaciers,
880-485: The Siachen Glacier posts. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the area, during which he called for a peaceful resolution of the problem. After that present Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited this place. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari also visited an area near the Siachen Glacier called Gayari Sector during 2012 with Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. Both of them showed their commitment to resolve
924-480: The Siachen Glacier system covers about 700 km (270 sq mi). "Sia" in the Balti language refers to the rose family plant widely dispersed in the region. "Chen" refers to 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 . Both India and Pakistan claim sovereignty over
SECTION 20
#1732872735792968-576: The Siachen conflict as early as possible. In the previous year, the President of India , Abdul Kalam became the first head of state to visit the area. Since September 2007, India has opened up limited mountaineering and trekking expeditions to the area. 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
1012-448: The administration of India as part of the union territory of Ladakh , located in the Kashmir region since 1984 . Pakistan maintains a territorial claim over the Siachen Glacier and controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge , lying west of the glacier, with Pakistani posts located 1 km below more than 100 Indian posts on the ridge. The Siachen Glacier lies immediately south of
1056-530: The base of Siachen glacier. The scene however was actually filmed in Preikestolen , Norway because the Indian government denied the movie makers permission to film in Kashmir. Tom Longstaff Tom George Longstaff (15 January 1875 – 26 June 1964) was an English medical doctor, explorer and mountaineer, most famous for being the first person to climb a summit of over 7,000 metres in elevation, Trisul , in
1100-585: The entire Siachen region. In June 1958, first Geological Survey of India expedition went to the Siachen glacier. It was the first official Indian survey of Siachen Glacier by Geological Survey of India post-1947 and that was undertaken to commemorate the International Geophysical Year in 1958. The study included snout surveying of five glaciers namely Siachen, Mamostong , Chong Kumdan , Kichik Kumdan and Aktash Glaciers in Ladakh region. 5Q 131 05 084
1144-430: The glacier size has decreased by almost 35 percent. In an eleven-year period, the glacier had receded nearly 800 metres, and in seventeen years about 1700 metres. It is predicted that the glaciers of the Siachen region will be reduced to about one-fifth of their 2011 size by 2035. In the twenty-nine-year period 1929–1958, well before the military occupation, the glacial retreat was recorded to be about 914 metres. One of
1188-445: The glacier, including Sia La , Bilafond La , Gyong La , Yarma La (6,100m), and Chulung La [ ceb ] (5,800m). Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge. According to TIME magazine , India gained over 1,000 square miles (3,000 km ) in territory because of its 1980s military operations in Siachen. India has categorically stated that India will not pull its army from Siachen until
1232-678: The great drainage divide that separates the Eurasian Plate from the Indian subcontinent in the extensively glaciated portion of the Karakoram 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
1276-403: The harsh weather conditions in the region than from combat. Pakistan lost 353 soldiers in various operations recorded between 2003 and 2010 near Siachen, including 140 Pakistanis killed in the 2012 Gayari Sector avalanche . Between January 2012 and July 2015, 33 Indian soldiers died due to adverse weather. In December 2015, Indian Union Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said in
1320-488: The international audience that Indian troops hold "almost all dominating heights" on the key Saltoro Ridge and to show that Pakistani troops are nowhere near the 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
1364-567: The map he made during this journey " completely altered the topography as shown on older maps ". After the war, he took part in an Oxford University Expedition to Spitsbergen in 1921 with Odell and was chief medical officer and naturalist on the 1922 British Mount Everest expedition . He returned to Spitsbergen in 1923 and to the Garhwal Himalaya in 1927. He led the Oxford University Expedition to Greenland in 1928 and
Chumik Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-558: The natural biological system and protect species whose lives are at risk. Italian ecologist Giuliano Tallone said the ecological life was at serious risk, and proposed setting up a Siachen Peace Park at the conference. After a proposal of a transboundary Peace Park was floated, the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organised
1452-565: The point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At 76 km (47 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 India–China border down to 3,620 m (11,875 ft) at its terminus . The entire Siachen Glacier, with all major passes, has been under
1496-435: The reasons theorized for the recent glacial retreat is chemical blasting, to construct camps and posts . In 2001 India laid oil pipelines (about 250 kilometres long) inside the glacier to supply kerosene and aviation fuel to the outposts from base camps. As of 2007, the temperature rise at Siachen was estimated at 0.2-degree Celsius annually, causing melting, avalanches, and crevasses in the glacier. The waste produced by
1540-411: The region. The idea of declaring the Siachen region a "Peace Park" was presented by environmentalists and peace activists in part to preserve the ecosystem of the region badly affected by the military presence. In September 2003, the governments of India and Pakistan were urged by the participants of the 5th World Parks Congress held at Durban , to establish a peace park in the Siachen region to restore
1584-505: The same year was awarded the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society for his work in the Himalaya, especially his discovery of the Siachen Glacier . In Greenland again, 1931 and 1934, and Baffin Island , 1934 with Wordie and others. When there were difficulties financing the 1938 Everest expedition Longstaff offered to underwrite the cost - on condition that the expedition
1628-456: The troops stationed there is dumped in the crevasses of the glacier. Mountaineers who visited the area while on climbing expeditions witnessed large amount of garbage, empty ammunition shells , parachutes etc. dumped on the glacier, that neither decomposes nor can be burned because of the extreme climatic conditions. About 1,000 kilograms (1.1 short tons) of waste is produced and dumped in glacial crevasses daily by Indian forces. The Indian army
1672-412: The use of arms and ammunition have considerably affected the ecosystem of the region. Preliminary findings of a survey by Pakistan Meteorological Department in 2007 revealed that the Siachen glacier has been retreating for the past 30 years and is melting at an alarming rate. The study of satellite images of the glacier showed that the glacier is retreating at a rate of about 110 metres a year and that
1716-439: The vicinity of Siachen and attempts to demilitarize the region have been so far unsuccessful. Prior to 1984, neither country had any military forces in this area. Aside from the Indian and Pakistani military presence, the glacier region is unpopulated. The nearest civilian settlement is the village of Warshi , 10 miles downstream from the Indian base camp. The region is also extremely remote, with limited road connectivity. On
1760-530: The west of the Siachen glacier beyond NJ9842; international boundary lines that follow mountain ranges often do so by following the watershed drainage divide such as that of the Saltoro Range. The 1972 Simla Agreement made no change to the 1949 Line of Control in this northernmost sector. The glacier's melting waters are the main source of the Nubra River in the Indian region of Ladakh , which drains into
1804-811: Was Assistant Commandant of the Gilgit Corps of Scouts , Frontier Militia, and Special Assistant at Fort Gupis to the Political Agent in Gilgit , from 1916, and was promoted Captain in 1917, retiring from the service in 1918. During the Second World War , he served with the 7th and 13th Battalion of the KRRC from 1939 to 1941. Longstaff climbed in the Alps , the Caucasus , Rocky Mountains , Greenland , Spitsbergen , Himalayas and
Chumik Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-546: Was led by either Tilman or Shipton , that there would be no advance publicity and that, where possible, the climbers would each pay their own way. He was a well respected amateur ornithologist and in 1933 he was one of eleven people involved in the appeal that led to the foundation of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), an organisation for the study of birds in the British Isles. He lived at Achiltibuie , in
1892-596: Was the eldest son of Lt-Col. Llewellyn W. Longstaff OBE of Wimbledon , the first and most generous supporter of Captain Scott 's National Antarctic Expedition. He was educated at Eton College , Christ Church, Oxford , and St Thomas' Hospital , London . Longstaff was commissioned into the 1/7th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment in 1914 and served on the General Staff at Army Headquarters, Simla , 1915–1916. He
1936-608: Was the number assigned to the Siachen glacier by the expedition. U.S. and Pakistani maps in the 1970s and 1980s consistently showed a dotted line from NJ9842 (the northernmost demarcated point of the India-Pakistan cease-fire line, also known as the Line of Control ) to the Karakoram Pass , which India believed to be a cartographic error and in violation of the Simla Agreement . In 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot ,
#791208