IDUKKI: Arjun Pandyan , a young IAS officer from Idukki, has unfurled the Tricolour atop Mount Nun, located on the border of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, to mark India’s 75th Independence Day.
The state land revenue joint commissioner, who was the former district development commissioner of Idukki, achieved the feat on August 30. The flag was unfurled at 6,129-metre height after a gruelling 14 days’ climb.
It was during his civil services training period in Mussoorie in Dehradun that Arjun, who was born at Elappara, developed an interest in mountaineering. Arjun had finished his basic and advanced courses in mountaineering which primarily were about building confidence. As part of the courses, Arjun climbed the 5,760-metre Draupati Ka Danda-2 in Uttarakhand in May.
Arjun enrolled for the Mount Nun expedition, which was part of the 21-day programme recognised by Indian Mountaineering Foundation, and set off on August 17. The team consisted of seven mountaineers. Five of them pulled out on their way to the peak, but Arjun persisted. But for the adverse weather and snow fall, Arjun wanted to scale higher.
Arjun dedicated his feat to India’s 75th Independence Day, 50-year celebrations of the formation of Idukki district and the plastic-free India campaign. His dream is to unfurl the Tricolour on Mount Everest.