The Army has worked on the warpath to erect heated shelters, bunkers and Arctic tents, as well as acquire specialized winter clothing, equipment and other essential supplies for its more than 50,000 soldiers deployed at “friction points” with China. in eastern Ladakh. as the actual control line (LACQUER), where temperatures have already dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius.
“Up to 40 feet of snow falls in some areas after November. Along with the wind chill factor, temperatures will drop to minus 30-40 degrees Celsius. Road access is also affected for a short time, ”said a senior official on Wednesday.
In addition to the ‘smart’ camps built over the years, additional state-of-the-art habitats have been created with integrated arrangements for electricity, water, heating, health and hygiene facilities to ensure the operational efficiency of the additional troops deployed there. The soldiers at the front, in turn, now have heated tents, ”he added.
#WATCH Eastern Ladakh: to ensure the operational efficiency of the troops deployed in winters, the Indian army has com… https://t.co/sfDYESE8gQ
– ANI (@ANI) 1605687675000
The Army has sought emergency supplies under multiple contracts signed with domestic and foreign companies for specialized clothing and equipment for its soldiers deployed at altitudes of more than 15,000 feet, including snow goggles, gloves, and layered socks. as well as down jackets. , pants and sleeping bags, as previously reported by TOI.
India has also acquired 15,000 ECWCS (Cold Weather Extended Clothing System) sets from the US under the bilateral Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed in 2016.
With India’s military confrontation with China in eastern Ladakh in its seventh month, more than 50,000 soldiers from the two armies, backed by howitzers, tanks and surface-to-air missile systems, remain deployed there.
India and China had “broadly agreed” to withdraw troops, tanks, howitzers and armored vehicles from “sticking points” in the Pangong Tso-Chushul area of eastern Ladakh. But the “exact modalities and sequence of steps”, as well as the joint verification process of the proposed withdrawal plan, have not yet been mutually finalized.
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