A report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) points towards the grim realities being faced by the Indian Army troops in high altitude areas of Siachen and Ladakh. The troops do not have snow glasses and multi-purpose boots to wear and are also deprived of the authorised daily consumption of food in these areas, according to the report.
The CAG tabled the report on Union Government (Defence Services)-Army in the Rajya Sabha, but failed to lay it in the Lok Sabha.
News agency IANS, quoting sources in the Rajya Sabha, reports that the audit highlights the condition of Indian Army in high altitude areas.
According to the CAG report, the troops deployed at high altitude areas are given old versions of face masks, jackets and sleeping bags. It says the calorie intake of the troops is compromised as high as 82 per cent.
The shortage of snow goggles—between 62 per cent and 98 per cent—exposes soldiers' faces and eyes to extreme weather, as per the report.
Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, is spread over a 76 km area. The sub-zero temperatures, constant threat of avalanches and high-speed winds make life tougher in this area.
In November, six people, including four Indian Army personnel and two civilian porters were killed in Siachen after they were hit by an avalanche.
As many as 167 Army personnel lost their lives in Siachen Glacier in the last 10 years due to weather-related incidents. It is assumed that all the deaths took place in weather-related incidents since there was no military confrontation between the forces of India and Pakistan during this period.
Siachen, once a demilitarised zone, came under the strategic control of India in 1984 following 'Operation Meghdoot'.