NEW DELHI: Soldiers posted at Siachen have initiated the arduous task of clearing the garbage that has accumulated in the world’s highest battlefield since more than three decades.
“The Army has launched Swachh Siachen Abhiyan in order to clear the garbage and we have succeeded in extricating more than 130 tonnes of garbage from the glacier and its vicinity,” said a senior officer.
The exercise started in January 2018 and by now 48.4 tonnes of biodegradable garbage, 40.32 tonnes of non- biodegradable (non-metallic) waste and 41.45 tons non- biodegradable metallic scrap have been disposed.
“We have also set up a mechanism to dispose of this waste and it is being done in a planned way,” said the officer. A bailing machine has been installed in Leh which converts the paper packaging materials into bails which are reusable.
For non-biodegradable waste, incinerators have been put at three points, the Siachen Base Camp (12,000 ft), Partapur (10,000 ft) and one near Bukdang at 10,000 ft.
“These incinerators do not produce the toxic carbon monoxide. They produce ash and manure which is used in the nearby areas,” said the officer.
The metallic waste like cans and drums are collected and packed for recycling.
“We are also looking for industrial crushers as it will make our task easier,” said the officer.
In Siachen’s sub-zero temperatures, nothing degrades and everything that has been supplied since 1984, when the glacier was taken, has accumulated into a huge amount of trash. The army has involved civilians in the cleanliness drive.