For others, the life a soldier leads at Siachen is impossible to fathom. “Whenever there is a blizzard, soldiers catch the snowflakes and store it away in jerry cans. “After a while you begin to forget that another world even exists.” Sometimes, he says, you feel it would be better being on a post where you are face-to-face with the enemy; at least there’d be something to keep you occupied. The body generates heat but it is not enough to melt the ice because the temperatures are so low. Opening a can of condensed milk can take 40 minutes “because you are so clumsy due to all the clothing and gloves you are wearing,” he says. A -60-degree temperature reading at 5000 m above sea level, is not designed for mortals like us to survive. One can only try to grasp what he is up against day after day. Only those who have served at Siachen can understand what Koppad had endured. “We were sent packets made by officers’ wives in Delhi, with chocolate, cards and letters of encouragement,” says Bhardwaj. Any soldier who fails these tests goes through the one-month grind again before he’s ready to meet the glacier. Siachen Glacier, located near the Indo-Pak Line of Control, is known to be the highest battlefield in the world. TRAVEL TRENDS, JAMMU AND KASHMIR To cope, there is a compulsory interaction period. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. Having served at the Siachen Glacier I can relate my personal experience. How every step can crack through an ice sheet hiding a crevasse and swallow you forever. The video shows a soldier tearing open a tetra pack of fruit juice and revealing it to have solidified. The soldiers begin the journey as early as 2.30 or 3 in the morning so that by 9 am they are at one of the intermediary posts. Italian ecologist Giuliano Talloneterming t… Browse more videos. Prem Nath Hoon, who led Operation Meghdoot and headed the Western Command, says Rs 20 crore is spent a day on logistics for keeping the Indian army at Siachen. So, in the frozen desert where a clap or loud laughter can trigger an avalanche, the troops must soldier on. It’s just difficult to get fresh food up there. But these structures keep coming loose and shifting because there is no foundation holding them in place; they are just hammered down into the ice with nails. He died in a Delhi hospital. It was the end of April 1989. ARY NEWS. On an average, India spends ₹ 50 million a day for maintaining troops on the glacier. Making a simple dal or chawal is a challenging task when temp drops to -30 to -40 degrees," one Twitter user wrote. Even a seemingly innocuous action can leave a soldier maimed for life. Once at the post, the harsh ways of life in Siachen became routine. Things we should know about the unforgiving Siachen Glacier and the life of Indian soldiers who are defending the world's highest battlefield to save their motherland. Life at the top of the world Life is not easy on Siachen's glacier due to harsh weather. ” – One Twitter User wrote on the above video. The body starts sweating despite the sub-zero temperatures because he is also wearing six or seven layers of high-quality, warm clothing. And so, many soldiers lose their lives every year. Let me reconstruct the story from … “We have to take a lot of laxatives.”document.write("");googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.defineOutOfPageSlot('/6516239/outofpage_1x1_desktop','div-gpt-ad-1490771277198-0').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.pubads().enableSyncRendering();googletag.enableServices();}); To bathe, the troops have to melt snow. In this file photo, an Indian army soldier uses a rope to cross over a stream during his training near their base camp in Siachen. Last Updated at February 20, 2016 01:10 IST. Nmami Life – Best nutritionists in Delhi to guide you – New Delhi, India. The Army is making efforts to transport the remains of the Siachen martyrs to their respective homes by Sunday. To make it through these, he needs to be evacuated immediately. Records state that yearly snowfall in this region can cover more than 3 dozen ft. These are the bravehearts who died in an avalanche in Siachen on February 3, 2015. As soldiers prepare food or sleep inside — mostly in sleeping bags on the floor or on makeshift wooden planks because beds would take up too much space — the ice underneath melts. Hard-Knock Life Born in Phukpochey village near the hot water springs of Panamik in Nubra Valley, Ladakh , Stanzin grew up in a modest farming household. “Soldiers get to talk to their families once a week for two minutes per person,” says an officer who served at Siachen in 2003. It is the longest glacier in the Karakoram Range, running 78 km long and the second largest in the world. He died in a Delhi hospital. “From the base camp, it takes four to 10 days to reach the designated post depending on where it is located — central, southern or the farthest north of the glacier,” says Satpal Singh Kohli from 6 Dogra, who was posted here in 1989. In September 2003, the governments of India and Pakistan were urged by the participants of 5th World Parks Congress held at Durban, to establish a peace park in the Siachen region to restore the natural biological system and protect species whose lives are at risk. Pratidin Time joint editor Sunit Kumar Bhuyan, Journalist Pranjal Das & Video journalist Koushik Bortamuly spent a five-day weekend in Siachen border and Ladakh. Rock-hard Eggs, Juice Bricks: Jawans Show Life at Siachen Glacier. “We should demilitarise the zone as soon as possible. Much has been written about the Siachen glacier in the past few days. Team Business Standard, Soldiers at a post at Siachen preparing food, A helicopter delivering supplies at Siachen, Soldiers bracing against the chilly winds at the Siachen base camp, Last Updated at February 20, 2016 01:10 IST, Remembering Subir Gokarn: The big-frame economist who loved the little things, Back from the dead: Lance Naik Hanamanthappa Koppad, Siachen soldier Lance Naik Hanamanthappa dies, Since 1984, 2 Indian soldiers have died every month in Siachen, Hanamanthappa cremated; Siachen again in focus, Access Exclusive content - articles, features & opinion pieces, Weekly Industry/Genre specific newsletters - Choose multiple industries/genres, Access to 17 plus years of content archives, Set Stock price alerts for your portfolio and watch list and get them delivered to your e-mail box, End of day news alerts on 5 companies (via email). The glare of the ice can blind if a soldier steps out without the protective goggles. We cannot even imagine the hardships that the soldiers have to endure to remain active at a height of around 5700 m above sea level. Siachen Glacier, located near the Indo-Pak Line of Control, is known to be the highest battlefield in the world. Siachen Glacier, located near the Indo-Pak Line of Control, is known to be the highest battlefield in the world. Incidents of soldiers dying in their sleep due to carbon monoxide poisoning from bukharis meant to keep the huts warm are common. Brace yourself! Here I am gonna write my fathers experience. Siachen :Find latest news, top stories on Siachen and get latest news updates. Now, they have fibre glass huts. An officer who served in 2002 recalls that even five to six years after returning from Siachen, the soldiers continued to have blisters on their feet. Please write more about life I'm siachen. The most recent one, which swept through an Indian army post on February 3 killing nine soldiers, had the nation praying because the 10th soldier, Hanumanthappa Koppad, was found alive, though barely — buried under blocks of ice and snow at temperatures of minus 45 degree Celsius six days later. The conditions a soldier particularly dreads are dehydration, high altitude pulmonary oedema (water in the lungs) and high altitude cerebral oedema (water in the brain), which can be fatal. All 10 soldiers were buried alive. In severe cases, the organs might just fall off. It is in fact unimaginable how a soldier survives without eating fresh food for so many days. Names of serving officers have been withheld on request, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Earlier, letters from home would help lift the mood. Bhardwaj is of the opinion that it is inhuman to expect the soldiers to fight in such an inhospitable place. Life at the highest battlefield in the world, Siachen is a cold war at its coldest The miraculous survival of the jawan and the incident itself, has generated a debate on the tough conditions close to 3000- 4000 men belonging to three battalions served under at the highest battlefield in the world. Statistics and technical terms, however, rarely do justice to what it feels like to be up there. These are taught over a month at the Siachen Battle School at the base camp, also called the snout of the glacier, at 12,000 feet. All rights reservedAbout Us | Sitemap | Authors | Contact Us | Advertise with Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use and Grievance Redressal Policy | Feedback A Times of India initiative | Weather powered by Skymet Weather. DailyTairah13. Up there, the Indian Army actually spends around 80 per cent of their time to prepare soldiers for deployment. “And if you touch, say, your metal weapon even briefly without gloves on, you could lose a part of your skin or even the hand. In such situations, they only have kerosene stoves to keep themselves warm. The effect is called “pillaring”. Veenu Sandhu  Life of a Siachen Soldier Part 2 Pakistan Army--- ISPR Documentary. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. 2. “At Siachen, the helicopter rotor is never turned off for it might not start again.”. 4:34. So, when many of these retired soldiers come back to civilian life, and work as security guards and owners of neighbourhood Mother Dairy booths, it falls on every citizen of this country to give them the utmost respect and dignity. It is is not just the harsh weather, but the non-availability of many basic amenities that makes life tougher up there. “That’s a difficult task because it takes a lot of snow to make half a bucket of water. Life is tough at the Siachen glacier, spread over a 76 km area, due to sub-zero temperatures that dip below -60 degrees, constant threat of avalanches, crevasses on the glacier, high-speed winds and a range of potentially fatal altitude-related ailments. Meals are had together and every soldier has a “buddy” who looks out for him. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. It is the longest glacier in the Karakoram Range, running 78 km long and the second lar... 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