DRDO fails to deliver as soldiers die of frostbite

DRDO fails to deliver as soldiers die of frostbite
GAURAV C SAWANT

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 25: The Government is yet to provide proper gloves for the extreme cold conditions - minus 20 to minus 30 degrees Celsius - in which troops are working and getting exposed to frostbite.

And this is not true only for the troops posted along the Actual Ground Position Line on Siachen glacier since 1984. It extends to the troops permanently deployed on heights in the 1500 km intrusion area, from Kaobal Gali to Batalik and even beyond. ``In 1999 alone, 19 soldiers were killed due to frostbite in the glacier area as against 11 the previous year,'' an official at the Army Headquarters said.

This was despite the Government's tall claims about adequate winter clothing and equipment being available for troops and Defence Minister George Fernandes' frequent visits to the glacier.

In a veiled attack on the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), another official said they had promised to make gloves for troops stationed on the glacier but failed to deliver.

``But then they are too busy making missiles and exploding nuclear bombs to bother about basic necessities like warm gloves for jawans living at altitudes over 17,000 feet in minus 20 degrees Celsius temperatures. DRDO keeps saying they will provide gloves and therefore expensive and much wanted gloves have not been imported,'' he said.

Statistics compiled by the Army Headquarters reveal that only 45 soldiers were injured in enemy (Pakistani) action along the glacier in 1998 though 260 were ``hit by General Glacier'', the bigger of the two enemies. In 1999, only 39 soldiers were wounded in fighting the enemy but 130 were injured fighting the forces of nature.

``And Siachen is comparatively cushy. After all soldiers have been deployed here since 1984. Over the years have evolved a system to make ourselves more comfortable. But in the Kargil sector the comfort level is zero. For the first time the peaks are being occupied in winter and there is not even a well-organised back-up system in place yet,'' said an official in the Military Operations Directorate.

``Efforts are on to get gloves for the troops. We are aware of the problem and have been hunting for warm gloves for the soldiers. DRDO can take its time but till then we have decided to procure them off the shelf'', a senior officer at the Army Headquarters said.