2019 – Posted in: Press Information Bureau

Siachen Glacier

Honourable Raksha Mantri (RM) Shri Rajnath Singh made his maiden visit to the world’s highest battle field i.e. Siachen Glacier.

Siachen glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram Range in the Himalayas.
At 78 km long, it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and second longest in the world’s non-polar areas.
Most of Siachen Glacier falls under the LoC (Line of Control), a hotly contested territory between Pakistan and India.
Since 1984, both countries have been fighting intermittently for sovereignty over this region, because of which Siachen Glacier is sometimes called the highest battleground on earth.
The conflict in Siachen stems from the incompletely demarcated territory on the map of this region.
After the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971, an agreement was signed between the two countries in 1972, which came to be known as the Shimla Agreement, but it failed to clearly mention who controlled the glacier.
In 1984, when the Pakistan army attempted to move into the region, India launched a successful military operation and has since maintained control over all of Siachen Glacier and its tributaries.
Siachen Glacier also boasts of the world’s highest helipad built by India at Point Sonam, 21,000 ft (6,400 m) above the sea level, to supply its troops. India also installed the world’s highest telephone booth on the glacier.

Source: PIB

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