Siachen, world's highest battlefield, may be made functional for tourists soon

To boost tourism in Ladakh Union Territory (UT), the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen Glacier, may be opened for adventure tourists soon.

If the proposal goes through, it will attract adventure tourists not only from within the country but abroad as well. In October 2019, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced that the base camp of Siachen Glacier which is situated at the height of 11,000 feet from sea level is open for tourists up to Kumar Post, located at the height of 15,000 feet.

A delegation of leaders from Ladakh, led by BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from the UT, Jamyang Tsering, had a meeting with Rajnath in New Delhi, where the assurances to make functional the Siachen Glacier for tourists, were made.

A local English daily reported that the delegation raised the demand for making Siachen Glacier functional for tourists as Rajnath had already announced in 2019 that some parts of the Glacier are open for tourism.

The delegation demanded that along with Siachen Glacier, other border areas along the Line of Control (LoC) should also be opened for tourists to promote tourism in the UT as many persons are interested to tour the forward areas. The Defence Minister reportedly assured the delegation that the areas which can be opened for tourists will be discussed.

The world’s highest battleground stands at an altitude of 24,000ft in Ladakh where temperatures during winters routinely drop to less than minus 50 degrees Celsius. Siachen Glacier is also the second-largest glacier in the world outside the polar region.

Until the 2003 Indo-Pak ceasefire agreement, the Siachen Glacier was the highest battlefield in the world with artillery duels taking place almost every day. Today, the artillery guns have fallen silent, but there is no let-up in the vigil at posts located as high as 23,000 feet on the Saltoro Ridge, which dominates the glacier.

In 2019, when India announced that the base camp of Siachen Glacier will open for tourists, Pakistan had objected it. “India has made attempts to occupy the territory of Siachen. Pakistan claims that the Siachen Glacier was a disputed territory that India could not open for tourism.