Siachen, world’s highest battlefield, open for tourists
New Delhi : The world’s highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, is now open for tourists, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced on Monday. Tourism will be allowed from Siachen base camp to Kumar Post that lies above 15,000 feet.
Meanwhile, while explaining that India and China have handled the boundary issue with maturity, Singh added that Kashmir is India’s internal matter and Chinese President Xi Jinping didn’t mention it during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Chennai.
Singh made the announcement on Siachen while inaugurating the newly constructed ‘Colonel Chewang Rinchen Bridge’ over the Shyok River in Eastern Ladakh. “The Siachen area is now open for tourists and Tourism. From Siachen Base Camp to Kumar Post, the entire area has been opened for tourism purposes,” the Defence Minister said through his official handle on Twitter, Economic Times reports.
Siachen base camp at Partapur is at an altitude of 12,000 feet and temperatures can dip as low as -60 degrees during the winter. The highest post in Siachen is Bana Post, which is 23,000 feet.
Other than an annual civilian expedition, this is the first time that the area has been opened by the army for tourists. The army, which is deployed in the glacier, will be examining who all will be coming to the area.
The Siachen glacier is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan and the Indian Army had gained control of it in 1984.
The 430-metre long bridge located at an altitude of 14,650 feet between the strategic Karakoram and Chang Chengmo ranges will connect Durbuk and Daulat Beg Oldie in Eastern Ladakh.
Oct. 21, 2019
