Defence Minister Rajnath Singh embarks on a visit to Siachen today. During the visit, he is scheduled to hold talks with armed personnel posted in the strategically crucial region.
Elaborating on the details of Rajnath Singh's visit, the Defence Ministry said in a statement, "Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will visit Siachen. He will interact with the Armed Forces personnel deployed in the region
Significantly, the Defence Minister's visit to Siachen comes a week after the Indian Army marked the 40th year of its presence on the world's highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier. Known for its extreme climatic conditions, the 75 km long, 2 to 4 km wide Siachen glacier is of extreme geo-strategic importance to India.
Defence Minister's visit to Siachen was cancelled earlier
Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh's visit to Siachen also falls a month after his earlier postponed visit to the region. The Defence Minister was scheduled to visit the Siachen area—the world’s highest battlefield—to celebrate Holi with the armed forces personnel deployed there. However, due to the prevailing weather conditions there, the trip was further postponed.
It is pertinent to note that the glacier persists with constant issues of avalanches and landslides, and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius there. Moreover, the armed forces personnel deployed in the region too have to undergo intense challenges stemming from the peculiar terrain and weather conditions. Due to inclement weather conditions, the troops deployed at forward posts bear problems, including bright sunlight leading to snow blindness, blizzards, and white-out conditions. They bear the risk of avalanches and crevasses on glaciated surfaces and have to negotiate ice walls in addition to facing the common ailments associated with high altitude and glaciated terrain
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