Updated: November 18, 2020 6:35:06 pm
Since the border confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh shows no signs of immediate resolution, the Indian army has created modern habitats with all the necessary facilities for thousands of troops deployed in the high-altitude region that is under the clutches of hard winter, government sources said. on Wednesday.
The habitats have received adequate heating facilities, as the region receives up to 40 feet of snow after November each year, while temperatures drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius in the winter months, they said.
“In order to ensure the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in winters, the Indian Army has completed the establishment of habitat facilities for all troops deployed to the sector,” said a source.
About 50,000 Indian Army soldiers are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in various mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in subzero conditions, as multiple rounds of talks between India and China have not yielded no concrete results to resolve the military confrontation that broke out in early May. China has also deployed an equal number of troops, according to officials.
“In addition to the smart camps with built-in facilities that have been built over the years, additional state-of-the-art habitats have recently been created with integrated arrangements for electricity, water, heating, health and hygiene facilities to accommodate the troops.” the source said. .
Front-line troops are being housed in heated tents based on tactical deployment considerations, the sources said.
In addition, an adequate civil infrastructure has also been identified to meet any emerging requirements, they added.
The Indian and Chinese armies have held eight rounds of corps commander-level talks so far, but no progress has yet been made to resolve the confrontation.
The latest round of military talks was held on November 6 during which both sides discussed extensively the withdrawal of troops from specific sticking points.
A joint statement issued after the talks said that both parties agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels, and to carry forward discussions to resolve pending issues.
India has always maintained that China has a responsibility to carry out the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.
Following the sixth round of military talks, the two sides had announced a series of decisions that included not sending any more troops to the front, refraining from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoiding taking measures that could further complicate matters.
The sixth round was carried out with a specific agenda exploring ways to implement a five-point agreement reached between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at a meeting in Moscow on September 10. outside of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). ) conclave.
The pact included measures such as the rapid withdrawal of troops, avoiding actions that could increase tensions, compliance with all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the Royal Line of Control (LAC). .
In the region, the temperature drops to minus 30-40 degrees Celsius and experiences up to 40 feet of snowfall after the month of November. Furthermore, road access to the region is also affected for a short period of time, he said.
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