Srinagar had minus 5.8, Pahalgam minus 7.4 and Gulmarg minus 5.5 as the minimum temperature on Monday…reports Asian Lite News.
As the 40-day long period of harsh winter known locally as the ‘Chillai Kalan’ starts on December 21, frozen water pipes, hanging icicles and bone chilling cold on Monday cautioned Kashmiris to brace for colder weather ahead.
The 40-day long Chillai Kalan period ends on January 31 each year as it brings in a lot of hardships for the people.
With the erratic electric power, the earthen firepot lit with charcoal and woven in willow wicker still remains the best bet for Kashmiris to brave the cold of the Chillai Kalan.
Srinagar had minus 5.8, Pahalgam minus 7.4 and Gulmarg minus 5.5 as the minimum temperature on Monday.
Drass town of Ladakh had minus 19.0, Leh minus 18.0 and Kargil minus 11.5 as the night’s lowest temperature.
Jammu city had 3.2, Katra 4.2, Batote 1.7, Banihal 3.0 and Bhaderwah minus 1.8 as the minimum temperature.
The MeT office said minimum temperatures could improve marginally during the next 2-3 days as a weak Western Disturbance (WD) is approaching J&K under whose influence the night sky would remain overcast.
Indian troops are deployed at a height of around 17,000 feet along borders and they require high-altitude gear…reports Asian Lite News.
Indian forces are gearing up for harsh winter deployment along the border with China amid a 19-month long face-off in Ladakh region.
To ensure that all logistic supports are provided in real time, Indian Air Force and Indian Army carried out a joint airlift exercise, ‘Op Hercules’ on November 15. It aimed to strengthen the logistics supply in the Northern sector and to augment winter stocking in the operational areas.
“The platforms utilised for the airlift were C-17, IL-76 and An-32 aircraft, which took off from one of the forward bases of Western Air Command,” the Indian Army said.
The effort was a real-time demonstration of the inherent heavy lift capability of the Indian Air Force, which has played a major role in ensuring the ability to quickly respond to any contingency during the past, the force said.
Indian troops are deployed at a height of around 17,000 feet along borders and they require high-altitude gear.
The force has to be ready to sustain the enhanced troop deployment in the harsh winter at friction points where temperatures will soon start dipping beyond minus 20 degrees Celsius.
“The temperature and wind chill factor will be a challenge through the winter as it will dip to 40-50 degrees Celsius below zero,” said a government official.
Last year, India made an urgent purchase of additional high altitude winter clothing from the US keeping in mind the needs of the enhanced troop deployment in peak winter amid the military tussle with China.
The winter kit given to each soldier consists of a three layered clothing that includes special jackets and trousers with a glacier poncho worn to brave out the wind chill factor. A Goggles, face masks, gloves, snow boots with a thick woollen lining, woollen socks and caps fully covering the head and ears also form the part of the essential gear.
A rucksack with a straw attached to a bottle that keeps the water warm and special sleeping bags are also included in this kit.
The items were purchased under LEMOA, the Logistics Exchange Memorandum Agreement (LEMOA) between India and US that facilitates logistical support, supplies and services between the armed forces of the two countries. These include clothing, food, lubricants, spare parts, medical services among other essentials.
Further to ensure operational efficiency of troops deployed in winters, the Indian Army has completed establishment of habitat facilities for all troops deployed at the forward locations. The living accommodation that will protect the troops from the severe cold and wind chill factor includes fast erectable modular shelters.
Apart from the smart camps with integrated facilities which have been built over the years, additional state of the art habitats with integrated arrangements for electricity, water, heating facilities, health and hygiene have been recently created to accommodate the troops.
Heavy snow cuts off the roads to forward locations making transportation impossible snapping supply lines. To ensure everything is in place, the Indian Air Force is also readying its deployment.
China strengthens LAC facilities for soldiers before winter
Meanwhile, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has strengthened facilities for its soldiers along the disputed border with India, ahead of winter, in anticipation of “small frictions”.
Observers told state-run tabloid Global Times that although “large-scale clashes are unlikely to occur in winter, small frictions may happen from time to time” along the Sino-India border, making it necessary for the PLA to be ready.
Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a border standoff in eastern Ladakh since May last year when a violent clash in Pangong lake area led to both sides gradually deploying tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry along the border. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have only resulted in partial disengagement of troops until now.
Keeping in mind the possibility of a clash between India and China and the harsh winter conditions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the PLA has been focussing on streamlining the logistic supply lines, the report said.
Other reports in China’s official military outlets also reported recently on the improvement of living conditions along the LAC so that PLA troops can remain stationed for prolonged periods at high altitudes during the winter, especially when temperatures drop sharply to well below zero.
Last week, the PLA Daily reported that personnel assigned to a brigade under the PLA Xinjiang Military Command, which carried out training on the snow-capped plateau at an elevation of 5,300 metres, have received new types of tactical vests.
“The materials used for the vest can resist strong wind and keep the soldiers warm in freezing conditions, and the embedded quick-slip device enables the soldiers to quickly escape from danger at critical moments,” the report said.
In order to solve the oxygen deficiency problem, portable oxygenators, oxygen chambers and individual oxygen supply devices are in widespread use for frontline troops…reports Asian Lite News.
Chinese frontline troops at the China-India border are getting prepared in logistics for the upcoming winter, with several new measures and facilities revealed for the first time to improve the living and working condition of officers and soldiers, which have further boosted their morale as well as the capability to patrol and execute tasks in the high-altitude region during harsh weather, Global Times reported.
Observers noted that although large-scale clashes are unlikely to occur in winter, small frictions may happen from time to time. This means that logistics is a key factor for border troops to overcome the winter, and in this area China has big advantages over India, the report said.
“Indian media reported recently that Indian troops are facing challenges in confronting the harsh winter, and the cost to maintain its deployment could be huge, as the government is urged to either build or improve facilities and infrastructure,” the report added.
“Experts said that some of India’s seemingly grandiose moves ahead of winter are more of a bluff, considering inadequate supplies and logistics have long been a problem for their frontline troops,” it added.
The Global Times learned from several border troop commanders in Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region that even when mountain roads are cut off by snow and ice, the logistics service of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ensures troops can carry out training and tasks at the border frontline.
New technologies and innovations have been put into practice for border defence. A border regiment commander said that modern detection devices allow Chinese soldiers to observe situations inside military posts. Frontline troops can also collect and manage information with modern command systems.
In order to solve the oxygen deficiency problem, portable oxygenators, oxygen chambers and individual oxygen supply devices are in widespread use for frontline troops.
Barracks on the high-altitude plateau are operated and heated with multiple energy sources such as coal, electricity and solar power.
A border regiment commander told the Global Times on Monday that all outposts are connected to the State Grid and have communication base stations. Ropeways have been set up to transport supplies.
Before winter comes, the regiment took advantage of a “golden period” for infrastructure construction and has “fundamentally” solved the practical problems of living in such an extreme environment. They have even built greenhouses to plant fresh greens, the report said.
A new type of kitchen vehicle with high automation allows troops to enjoy hot food in a region as high as 4,500 metres above sea level with temperature lowering to minus 40 C. Each vehicle can serve a hundred people with four dishes, two staple foods, and a soup.
Soldiers of another regiment garrisoned in a region at an altitude of 4,500 metres have been equipped with new winter clothing such as rechargeable vests, knee protectors and Xingkong (Starry sky)-camouflage coats, the report said.
“With this cold-proof clothing covering from head to toe, I stay warm when I’m on guard duty even on really cold nights,” a border soldier told the Global Times on Monday. He was given a set of new winter clothing including lightweight boots and a down jacket.
Scientists have warned that a third wave of coronavirus infections is “definitely under way” in England due to the fast spread of the Delta variant first identified in India..reports Asian Lite News.
British scientists on Sunday warned of “pretty miserable winter” ahead for the country due to likely emergence of new respiratory viruses, with further lockdowns a possibility.
Professor Calum Semple, member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), a British government advisory body, said that children and elderly people will be especially vulnerable to endemic viruses at the end of the year, Xinhua reported.
Describing it as the “fourth wave winter,” he told Times Radio “there’s a sting in the tail after every pandemic” because social distancing will have reduced people’s exposure to usual endemic respiratory viruses such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
“I suspect we’ll have a pretty miserable winter because the other respiratory viruses are going to come back and bite us quite hard,” he said. “But after that, I think we’ll be seeing business as normal next year.”
Meanwhile, Susan Hopkins, Public Health England’s director for COVID-19, warned “we may have to do further lockdowns this winter” depending on whether hospitals start to become overwhelmed.
“I think we will have alternative ways to manage this, through vaccination, through anti-virals, through drugs, through testing that we didn’t have last winter,” she told the BBC.
Scientists have warned that a third wave of coronavirus infections is “definitely under way” in England due to the fast spread of the Delta variant first identified in India, even though hospital admissions will hopefully not be on the same scale as in January.
The recent data published by Public Health England showed the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 percent effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant after two doses, and the Pfizer vaccine, 96 percent effective.
More than 42.6 million people have been given the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine while more than 31 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures.
Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants.
