Nubra River

Last updated

Nubra River
Yarma Tsangpo
Nubra River.jpg
Nubra River
Shyok2.svg
Nubra/ Shyok watershed
Location
Country India
Union Territory Ladakh
Region Ladakh
District Leh
Physical characteristics
Source 35°12′38″N77°11′46″E / 35.21056°N 77.19611°E / 35.21056; 77.19611
 • location Siachen Glacier
 • elevation3,720 m (12,200 ft)
Mouth  
 • location
 Shyok river at Khalsar
 • coordinates
 34°35′33″N77°34′50″E / 34.59250°N 77.58056°E / 34.59250; 77.58056
 • elevation
3,126 m (10,256 ft)
Length80 km (50 mi)
Basin size4,378 km2 (1,690 sq mi) [1]
Basin features
River system Indus River

The Nubra River is a river in the Nubra Valley of Ladakh in India. It is a tributary of the Shyok River (a part of the Indus River system) and originates from the Siachen Glacier, [2] the second-longest non-polar glacier in the world. [3] [4] In earlier Tibetan maps, it was referred to as Yarma Tsangpo. [5]

Contents

Geography

The Siachen Glacier terminates in a snout located at around 3,570 m (11,700 ft) and two pro-glacial melt-water streams originate out of two ice caves in the region. [6] They merge about one kilometer downstream and becomes the Nubra river. [6] [7] Numerous other glaciers of the Karakoram descend into the Nubra. [8] It then flows between the Karakoram range and the Saltoro Mountains in a general southeasterly direction for about 90 kilometres (56 mi) before its confluence with the Shyok River near Diskit, forming the Nubra Valley. [8] [6] [9]

The side valleys of the Nubra Valley contain some 33 glaciers of varying proportions, and the heavy sediment load carried by the river from the melt-water is responsible for many glacio-fluvial deposits including braided channels, outwash plains and alluvial fans. [10] The valley has been formed by ancient glaciers, now long receded, and has an average elevation of 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level. The area has a very arid climate, and the lack of precipitation and the high elevation means that the upper reaches of the valley are nearly devoid of vegetation. [11] At its junction with the Shyok, the sandy flats support patches of Tamarix and Myricaria . There are small villages at the foot of ravines, where poplars and willow trees grow. Small pasture fields have been enclosed on the un-denuded fans and fruit trees are grown. [12]

Siachen Conflict

The river was rafted by an Indo-German team in 1978 [13] under the leadership of Narendra Kumar. [14] Certain features in the maps used by the Germans led to India's understanding of cartographic aggression by Pakistan and a subsequent mountaineering reconnaissance expedition of the region was planned; which in turn led to Operation Meghdoot. [14] [15]

Ecological crisis

The Siachen Glacier, the source of the Nubra River, has for some time [nb 1] been the scene of conflict between India and Pakistan, and has been called the world's highest battleground. [17] The 20,000 troops stationed on the glacier produce a lot of waste, [nb 2] 40% of which is plastic and metal. This debris, including irreparable vehicles, war debris, parachute material, canisters, clothing, and human waste, is simply tipped into crevasses in the glacier. With no natural biodegradation taking place, the ice is being permanently contaminated by toxins such as cobalt, cadmium, and chromium. The washing of warfare clothes at hot sulfur springs near the Indian base camp also contaminates the river. The toxins will eventually reach the Indus River, with millions of downstream users potentially being impacted. [18] [19] [20]

Tourism

There are many monasteries (gompa) including Samstanling Monastery the main monastery in the valley and Diskit Monastery for viewing tall statue of Maitreya Buddha and Ensa Monastery. Visit Panamik village for mountain views, Yarab Tso lake, Hunder Sand Dunes for Bactrian camel safari, Turtuk the border village for landscape & local unique culture. [21]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The conflict began in 1984 with India's successful Operation Meghdoot during which it gained control over all of the Siachen Glacier (unoccupied and undemarcated area). India has established control over all of the 70-kilometre-long (43 mi) Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as all the main passes and heights of the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier, including Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La. Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge. [16]
  2. ↑ The 20,000 troops stationed on the Siachen are supplied (flown and parachuted) thousands of tons of food and supplies every year. Indian army officials have described the Siachen as "the world’s biggest and highest garbage dump", from where nothing comes back. World Commission on Protected Areas estimates that over 2000 lbs. of human waste are dropped daily into crevasses of the glacier. [18]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siachen Glacier</span> Glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas

The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about 35.421226°N 77.109540°E, just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At 76 km (47 mi) long, it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and second-longest in the world's non-polar areas. It falls from an altitude of 5,753 m (18,875 ft) above sea level at its head at Indira Col on the India–China border down to 3,620 m (11,875 ft) at its terminus. The entire Siachen Glacier, with all major passes, has been under the administration of India as part of the union territory of Ladakh, located in the Kashmir region since 1984. Pakistan maintains a territorial claim over the Siachen Glacier and controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge, lying west of the glacier, with Pakistani posts located 1 km below more than 100 Indian posts on the ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trans-Karakoram Tract</span> Chinese-administered area in the northern half of Kashmir near the Shaksgam River

The Trans-Karakoram Tract, also known as the Shaksgam Tract, is an area of approximately 5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi) north of the Karakoram watershed, including the Shaksgam valley. The tract is administered by China as part of its Taxkorgan and Yecheng counties in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Although the Shaksgam tract was originally under the control of India following the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947, Pakistan took control of the region after the First India-Pakistan War and subsequently ceded it to China in 1963 through the Sino-Pakistan Agreement, and a border based on actual ground positions was recognized as the international border by China and Pakistan. The Shaksgam Tract, along with the entire Kashmir region, is claimed by India. Further, New Delhi has never accepted the China-Pakistan boundary pact, asserting that Islamabad "unlawfully" attempted to cede the area to Beijing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubra</span> Region in Ladakh, India

Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Nubra district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name Dumra means "valley of flowers". Demands have been raised and BJP has hinted at creation of Nubra as a new district. Diskit, the headquarters of Nubra, is 120 km north of Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Meghdoot</span> 1984 Indian military operation in Kashmir

Operation Meghdoot was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces operation to take full control of the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh. Executed on the morning of 13 April 1984 in the highest battlefield in the world, Meghdoot was the first military offensive of its kind. This operation preempted Pakistan's Operation Ababeel and was a success, resulting in Indian forces gaining control of the Siachen Glacier in its entirety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltoro Mountains</span> Subrange of the Karakoram located on the southwestern side of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir

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Tourism is one of the economic contributors to the union territory of Ladakh in Northern India. The union territory is sandwiched between the Karakoram mountain range to the north and the Himalayas to the south, and is situated at a height of 11,400 ft. Ladakh is composed of Leh and Kargil districts. The region contains prominent Buddhist sites and has an ecotourism industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shyok River</span> River in India and Pakistan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sia La</span> Mountain pass in Ladakh

Sia La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan some 60 km (37 mi) north-northwest of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan as part of the Simla Agreement. Sia La sits near the Chinese border and immediately northwest of the upper part of the vast Siachen Glacier, connecting that glacier to the Pakistani-controlled Kondus Glacier and valley to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thoise Air Force Station</span> Village in Ladakh, India

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Chalunka is a small mountainous village, in Nubra tehsil and Turtuk community development block, in Chorbat area of Shyok River valley in Ladakh, India. At the end of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, it was on the cease-fire line agreed between the India and Pakistan. After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the village came under the jurisdiction of Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyong La</span>

Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some 20 km (12 mi) directly north of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan. With Pakistan controlling areas just to the west along Chumik Glacier, the immediate Gyong La area has been under India's control since 1989. Dozens of Indian military tents and other equipment are visible in 2013 and 2016 Google Earth imagery 100 meters east, 670 meters northeast, and 2.7 km east-northeast of Gyong La, linked by clear trails. Nearer the former Pakistani "Naveed Top" position and 3.85 km west-northwest of Gyong La is a post and helipad is visible in 2001 and 2016 Google Earth imagery at 5,800 m (19,000 ft) elevation, higher than both the Indian positions and Gyong La.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siachen Base Camp (India)</span> Military camp in Siachen Glacier

Siachen Base Camp, 12,000 feet above sea level at Partapur, is a base camp of 102 Infantry Brigade of XIV Corps of Indian Army which protects 110 km long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) with at least 108 forward military outposts and artillery observation posts in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier in Ladakh Union Territory of India. It is approximately 6 hours drive north from the town of Leh via one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world, Khardung La at 17,582 feet. Bana Top (20,500 ft) is the highest post in the region, which requires 80 km and 20 day trek for troops. Pahalwan Post and posts near Indira Col are other high posts. Kumar Post or Kumar Base, named after the Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar, serves as the battalion head quarter located 60 km from the Siachen base towards Indira Col. The Siachen Brigade consists of five to eight battalions of Ladakh Scouts supported by artillery, air defence, engineer and other logistic units. Pakistan has not been able to scale the crest of the Saltoro Range occupied by India. The temperature goes down to minus 86 °C during winters with icy 300 kmph blizzards. The average temperature is between minus 25 °C during day and minus 55 °C during the night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Actual Ground Position Line</span> Division line between Indian and Pakistani military posts on the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir

The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) divides current positions of Indian and Pakistani military posts and troops along the entire 110 kilometres (68 mi) long frontline in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier. AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains range, beginning from the northernmost point of the (LOC) at Point NJ 9842 and ending in the north on the Indira Ridge at the India-China-Pakistan LAC tripoint near Sia Kangri about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Indira Col West, with peaks in excess of 7,000 m (23,000 ft) and temperatures ranging to around −55 °C (−67 °F). India gained control of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) of disputed territory in 1984 because of its military operations in Siachen. A cease-fire was announced in 2003.

NJ9842, also called NJ 980420, is the northernmost demarcated point of the India-Pakistan cease fire line in Kashmir known as the Line of Control (LoC). The India–Pakistan AGPL, begins from the NJ9842 on LoC and ends near the Indira Ridge at the trijunction of areas controlled by China, India, and Pakistan.

Indira Col West is a mountain pass at 5,988 metres (19,646 ft)) altitude on the Indira Ridge of Siachen Muztagh in Karakoram Range. It is on the border between Indian-controlled Siachen Glacier and the Chinese-controlled Trans-Karakoram Tract, close to the tripoint of India, Pakistan, and China. The India-Pakistan Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) in the Siachen area ends near the pass. It is possible to ascend the pass from both the north and south sides controlled by China and India respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chorbat Valley</span> Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan & Ladakh, Pakistan & India

Chorbat Valley is a section of the Shyok river valley divided between Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan and Indian-administered Ladakh. The Pakistan-administered portion is in the Khaplu tehsil of Ghanche District in Gilgit–Baltistan, and the Indian-administered portion is in the Nubra tehsil, Leh district of Ladakh. Chorbat stretches from the edge of Khaplu to the Chalunka village of Nubra.

The Battle of Turtuk was a military engagement between India and Pakistan that took place during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Fighting between the two sides took place in Turtuk and its surrounding areas, then part of the Pakistani-administered Northern Areas in Kashmir. Following this battle, Indian forces captured Turtuk from Pakistan, which had controlled the area since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948. Per the Simla Agreement, Turtuk was incorporated into the erstwhile Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, and formally became a part of Ladakh following the revocation of Article 370 by the Government of India in August 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "India WRIS Geoviewer" . Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "Siachen Glacier | glacier, Karakoram Range, Asia". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  3. ↑ "Longest non polar glaciers in the world". Worldatlas. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  4. ↑ Siachen Glacier is 76 km (47 mi) long; Tajikistan's Fedchenko Glacier is 77 km (48 mi) long. The second-longest in the Karakoram Mountains is the Biafo Glacier at 63 km (39 mi). Measurements are from recent imagery, supplemented with Russian 1:200,000 scale topographic mapping as well as the 1990 "Orographic Sketch Map: Karakoram: Sheet 2", Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research, Zurich.
  5. ↑ "LOTS IN A NAME : Himalayan Journal vol.48/18". www.himalayanclub.org. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 Kale, Vishwas S. (23 May 2014). Landscapes and Landforms of India. Springer. p. 106. ISBN   9789401780292.
  7. ↑ VSM, Brig Amar Cheema (31 March 2015). The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective. Lancer Publishers. pp. 353, 355. ISBN   9788170623014.
  8. 1 2 VSM, Brig Amar Cheema (31 March 2015). The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective. Lancer Publishers. pp. 355, 368. ISBN   9788170623014.
  9. ↑ Philip's (1994). Atlas of the World. Reed International. pp. 80–81. ISBN   0-540-05831-9.
  10. ↑ Kale, Vishwas S. (23 May 2014). Landscapes and Landforms of India. Springer. p. 105. ISBN   9789401780292.
  11. ↑ Negi, Sharad Singh (1991). Himalayan Rivers, Lakes, and Glaciers. Indus Publishing. p. 106. ISBN   978-81-85182-61-2.
  12. ↑ Drew, Frederic (1875). The Jummoo and Kashmir Territories: A Geographical Account. E. Stanford. pp.  273–280.
  13. ↑ Kumar, Col N.; Bhatia, N. N. (15 July 2016). Soldier Mountaineer: The Colonel who got Siachen Glacier for India. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN   9789385563560.
  14. 1 2 Gokhale, Nitin A. (27 April 2015). Beyond NJ 9842: The SIACHEN Saga. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   9789384052263.
  15. ↑ Bhattacharya, Suryatapa (19 June 2012). "War on the roof of the world still chills, decades on". The National. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  16. ↑ Wirsing, Robert (13 December 1991). Pakistan's security under Zia, 1977–1988: the policy imperatives of a peripheral Asian state. Palgrave Macmillan, 1991. ISBN   9780312060671.
  17. ↑ "Blog: A 60-km Trek to the World's Highest Battlefield, Siachen". NDTV.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  18. 1 2 "Stanford Environmental Law Journal" (PDF). uvm.edu. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Kemkar, Neal A. (2006). "Environmental Peacemaking: Ending Conflict between India and Pakistan on the Siachen Glacier through the Creation of a Transboundary Peace Park" (PDF). Stanford Environmental Law Journal. 67: 81, 82.
  20. ↑ Bedi, Jatinder Singh (29 August 1998). "The Tribune 'Save the Himalayas' campaign — VI---World's highest, biggest junkyard". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  21. ↑ Places to see in the Nubra Valley, traveltriangle, accessed 27 July 2023.
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