J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

IAF ready for winter in Siachen
THOISE (Siachen Glacier), Sept 27 — The guns from across have been relatively quieter this year but as winter creeps in on these treacherous icy wastes, the longest airlift in history continues relentlessly, attaining new heights.

Trucks with cement bags impounded
KATHUA, Sept 27 — Two trucks carrying smuggled cement bags were impounded by a team of officials of the Sales Tax Department at Lakhanpur today. The trucks carrying 250 bags of smuggled cement loaded from Sujanpur, Pathankot, were on their way to Mahanpur, Basohli. The Sales Tax team chased the trucks, numbered HIK-3794 and JK02G-5439, when they crossed the barrier without paying sales tax. The trucks were stopped near the Thein Dam.

Hanguls grow in number
SRINAGAR, Sept 27 — The population of endangered Kashmiri stag “hangul” has increased to 475 at the Dachigam National Park, near here, according to a recent survey. The population of “hanguls” had dropped to 120 in 1992 in the wake of eruption of militancy. This was stated today by the Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Forests and Environment, Mr Ghulam Ahmad Shah.4

European team ends visit
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Sept 27 — The five-member delegation of the European Union concluded its three-day visit to Kashmir today after having met senior state government functionaries and Hurriyat Conference leaders.

The delegation led by Mr Michel Caillouet of the European Union comprised Mr Bernard Moterrand, French envoy, Mr Johan Nordenfelt, Swedish envoy, Mr Guy Trouveroy, Belgian envoy, and Ms Eva Nguyen Binth, First Secretary, French Embassy, New Delhi.

At their meeting with the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, here last evening, they were apprised about the security scenario and the role of Pakistan in fomenting violence against the peace-loving people of the state.

Mr Farooq Abdullah listed measures initiated by his government to step up the pace of development and said a programme had been launched to rebuilt the damaged infrastructure in the state. Other ministers present on the occasion included Mr Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah and Mr Abdul Qayoom.

Among the senior state government functionaries, who met the European delegation, was Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly. He apprised the envoys about the security scenario in the state and the efforts being made to speed up the tempo of development. He said the government was also taking up new projects for allround development of the state.

Mr Jaitly said a strategy had been devised to tackle the problem of unemployment as the number of unemployed educated youth had reached 1.50 lakh. He said the government had provided employment to 80,000 youths in the government sector.

The Hurriyat Conference leaders, who had a long meeting with the visiting European delegation, included the APHC Chairman, Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, former Chairman and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mr Mohammad Yasin Malik (JKLF) and Sheikh Abdul Aziz (Peoples League) also met the team.

These leaders apprised the visiting delegation members about the stand of the APHC on the Kashmir issue.

The delegation also met the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Political Front (J&K PPF), Mr Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi, who had in July mediated in talks between Union Home Ministry officials and the Hizbul Mujahideen after the announcement of a unilateral ceasefire.

IAF ready for winter in Siachen

THOISE (Siachen Glacier), Sept 27 (UNI) — The guns from across have been relatively quieter this year but as winter creeps in on these treacherous icy wastes, the longest airlift in history continues relentlessly, attaining new heights.

The drone of the MI-17 helicopter or the clatter of the Cheetah chopper periodically breaks the strong silence in this wind-swept base camp of the world’s highest battle field, taking off for another mission in the forbidding reaches of the Siachen glacier.

For the troops bivouaced on the ledges of the mountains or in tiny posts on the floor of the glacier, the sounds of the Indian Air Force choppers and the airdrop of equipment and food is their momentary contact with civilisation.

Post-Kargil, there has been a 60 per cent increase in the air maintenance operations by the IAF’s fixed wing aircraft, the IL-76 and AN-32, and 100 per cent by the helicopters.

All this without any increase in the IAF’s assets, Air Vice Marshal Satish Jain, Air Officer Commanding, Jammu and Kashmir, tells newspersons proudly in the briefing room of the base camp at 10,066 feet.

After last summer’s Kargil conflict, the IAF’s responsibilities towards maintaining supplies has increased. Besides equipping one brigade in the Siachen, another mountain division of the Army has been inducted into the Kargil area which has two forward brigades which together have almost 30 posts expected to be cut off by snow in winter.

In addition, there has been increased deployment of troops in the Gurez sector. Because of the increased tonnage per hour, several forward maintenance bases have been activated by the IAF.

Before the Kargil conflict, the total task of the IAF was to transport 19,000 tonnes a year with both transport aircraft and helicopters. Now with an additional corps, 14 Corps based in Leh, the IAF’s target in Jammu and Kashmir is 30,000 tonnes a year, an increase of 60 per cent.

The task of hauling an average 100 tonnes on every clear day is done by one squadron each of the IL-76 and AN-32 and two sqaudrons each of MI-17s and Cheetahs which are regularly based at Chandigarh, Jammu, Udhampur, Leh and Thoise and supplemented when the need be by fixed wing aircraft from Agra and rotary wing aircraft from Hindon and Sarsawa.

Since 1984, after a battalion strength force of the Indian Army occupied the glacier and choked off the Pakistani access through Bilafond La and Sia La, the Siachen air operations of the IAF have been going on making it the longest air logistics operations in the history of the world.

Almost everyday, 365 days a year, the MI-17s drop loads upto 6 to 8 tonnes at lower helipads on the glacier at heights of over 17,000 feet. The Cheetahs enter the picture when posts at heights of over 20,000 feet, many having an eyeball to eyeball contact with the Pakistanis, have to be serviced. Besides, there are the casualty evacuations, one a day on an average.

There is nothing comparable in the world to the IAF’s air maintenance operations — operation "meghdoot" — in the Siachen glacier.

It was because of the IAF’s airlift capabilities that India has been able to hold on to the Siachen, says Air Vice-Marshal Satish Jain.

The helicopters work in these hostile conditions much beyond the limits set by the manufacturers. The pilots who find extremes of temperatures from -30°C in winter to 30°C in summers do a minimum of 30 to 40 landings, half of them at very tiny helipads above 15,000 feet.

The IAF is now awaiting the newer versions of the MI-17 with better avionics, all weather radars and the ability to carry more payload to be inducted by the end of the year in the sector.

Air Commodore F. H. Major, Air Officer Commanding, Leh, says the helicopter pilots come under fire quite often. But for every helicopter pilot in the IAF, flying in the Siachen is the most challenging opportunity.

Total white-outs are a common occurrence, the danger of going down in crevasses when powerful down draughts pull the helicopter inwards and the skillful manoeuvering required when flying in close proximity of the mountains in strong winds are the hazards that the chopper pilots face.

The Siachen is 76 km long and has numerous subsidiary glaciers. Of these glaciers, only three glaciers have a relatively easy access towards the west — the Gyong La, the Lolofond, which terminates into the Bilafond La and the Sia La which drops down to the Khorkhandus glacier. To the north are the difficult passes of Indira Col, the northern-most point of India, and Turkestan La which are contiguous to the Shaksgam valley, illegally ceded to China by India.

The northern part of the glacier is dominated by India and in the central part there are some places where the Pakistanis can observe Indian posts. The southern glacier is where there are eyeball to eyeball situations.

Along the line of control this year the firing from across has been sporadic and not as heavy as last year, according to officers in Kargil and Leh.

But with the winter setting in, no chances can be taken. And, there is no break in the IAF operations. In fact, according to Air Vice-Marshal Satish Jain, the force is only looking at ways on optimising its efforts even though the men and the machines are already operating beyond their designed envelopes.

Trucks with cement bags impounded
From Our Correspondent

KATHUA, Sept 27 — Two trucks carrying smuggled cement bags were impounded by a team of officials of the Sales Tax Department at Lakhanpur today. The trucks carrying 250 bags of smuggled cement loaded from Sujanpur, Pathankot, were on their way to Mahanpur, Basohli. The Sales Tax team chased the trucks, numbered HIK-3794 and JK02G-5439, when they crossed the barrier without paying sales tax. The trucks were stopped near the Thein Dam.

The driver and conductor of the truck numbered JK02G-5439 attacked officials but the Punjab Police came to their rescue and arrested the driver and the conductor.

The driver was identified as Bidlu Chand, a resident of Madhopur. The driver and conductor of the second truck succeeded in giving the slip to the police. A spokesman of the Sales Tax Department alleged that certain manufacturers of cement from Pathankot were smuggling cement bags from Sujanpur to Kathua and Jammu.

A case has been registered.

In another incident, an excise team led by the Deputy Commissioner, Excise, during checking of vehicles stopped a truck (No. HNS-1297) and recovered 700 kg of discorea.

The truck was coming from Kashmir and was on its way to Delhi. Discorea, used in Ayurvedic medicines, is banned in the state. The driver of the truck was arrested. He was identified as Malkeet Singh, a resident of Haryana.

Yet another vehicle carrying 2900 willow clefts illegally was stopped here this morning. The driver was arrested.

Hanguls grow in number

SRINAGAR, Sept 27 (PTI) — The population of endangered Kashmiri stag “hangul” has increased to 475 at the Dachigam National Park, near here, according to a recent survey. The population of “hanguls” had dropped to 120 in 1992 in the wake of eruption of militancy. This was stated today by the Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Forests and Environment, Mr Ghulam Ahmad Shah.

Besides, the population of other species has risen too, with 7,000 ibex, 11,000 blue sheep, 250 snow leopards, 400 Ladakh urial, 1,200 kyang and 250 Tibetan antilopes being sighted in the Ladakh region.

Mr Shah said a group of 30 wild yaks was sighted after 30 years during the survey conducted in the state in March by the Wildlife Protection Department. To educate masses about the importance of wildlife, an awareness campaign was being launched throughout the state during the World Wildlife Week beginning on October 2, he said.