2019 – Posted in: Press Information Bureau – Tags: environmental issues

Siachen Glacier

The soldier said temperatures dip to almost minus 70 degrees in the Siachen glacier area.

Siachen refers to land with an abundance of roses.
The glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends.
It is the longest glacier in the Karakoram.
Second-longest glacier in the world’s non-polar areas.
The glacier’s region is the highest battleground on Earth.
The entire glacier is under the administration of India since 1984.
Pakistan controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge, far away from the glacier.
The Siachen Glacier lies immediately south of the great drainage divide that separates the Eurasian Plate from the Indian subcontinent in the extensively glaciated portion of the Karakoram sometimes called the “Third Pole”.
The glacier’s melting waters are the main source of the Nubra River in the Indian region of Ladakh, which drains into the Shyok River.
The Shyok River, in turn, joins the 3000 kilometre-long Indus River which flows through Pakistan.
Siachen glacier is a major source of the Indus and feeds the largest irrigation system in the world.
The region is home to rare species including snow leopard, brown bear, and ibex.

The presence of thousands of troops since 1984 has introduced pollution and melting on the glacier.
To support the troops, glacial ice has been cut and melted with chemicals.
Dumping of non-biodegradable waste in large quantities by troops.
The use of arms and ammunition also have considerably affected the ecosystem of the region.

Source: PIB

You can follow us on LinkedIn and on Instagram (Diligent IAS) for more updates related to IAS Preparation/ Study Material, Subscribe to our Facebook Page and Youtube Channel- Diligent IAS