Aerial view shows washed away Tapovan hydel power project plant after Sundays glacier burst, in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Friday. PTI photo
Dehradun/New Delhi, February 12
The debris brought by the avalanche in Uttarakhand earlier this week has blocked a stream that joins the Rishi Ganga river forming a temporary lake which if breached can cause further damage in the valley, said a report by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.
According to its director Kalachand Sain, a team of scientists from the institute conducted an aerial survey of the upper reaches of the Rishi Ganga just a day after the Sunday avalanche and spotted the new glacial lake there.
The team took some photographs of the lake taken from a helicopter. It seems that the recent avalanche has led to its formation in the higher stretches of the Rishi Ganga’s catchment area, he said.
“Our scientists are examining the size of the lake, its periphery and the volume of water it contains to ascertain how big and immediate the danger from it is,” Sain told PTI.
According to the report by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), an organisation of the Department of Science and Technology, the assessment of the actual magnitude of risk involved due to this impoundment of water requires a detailed survey.
“The catastrophic floods on Sunday also brought sediments in the Rishi Ganga river. Since the width of the river is very less in the upper stretches, the sediments have blocked a stream forming a lake which may breach and cause further damage in the valley,” Sain said.
A portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, triggering an avalanche and a deluge in the Alaknanda river system that washed away hydroelectric stations and endangered lives of people living along the banks.
According to WIHG, a mass of rock weakened over a period of time due to freezing and thawing of snow must have led to the creation of a “weak zone” triggering its collapse, which brought down sediments. The avalanche was also accompanied by a thick pack of snow and ice that overlaid the rock surface, it stated.
This resulted in the formation of a temporary dam that eventually breached, causing the deadly floods in Chamoli district on Sunday.
The incident occurred adjacent to the Raunthi glacier. The area also has glaciers that feed the Rishi Ganga river, which ultimately joins the Dhauli Ganga.
The steep slopes of the mountains in the region further increased the intensity of the crash. The stretch of the avalanche was about three kilometres with an average slope of 37 degrees, before reaching the “Raunthi Nala/Gadhera” floor at an altitude of about 3,600 metres.
Meanwhile, Chamoli District Magistrate Swati S Bhadauria said an eight-member team of the scientists of the Geological Survey of India has been formed to inspect the lake and submit its report to the district administration at the earliest. — PTI
Capt Prabhjot Singh from Mohali, who was adjudged the best all-round officer of the Medical Officers’ Basic Course.
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 9
An officer from Mohali, Capt Prabhjot Singh, has been adjudged the best officer of the Medical Officer Basic Course (MOBC). He passed out from the Officers Training College at the Army Medical Corps Centre and College, Lucknow, today.
The nine-week MOBC imparts intensive combat medical support training to newly commissioned armed forces’ medical and dental officers to empower them for effectively performing their duties in peace and operational areas.
The course batch comprised 113 officers, including 17 women, 13 air force, five navy and 10 dental officers.
Prabhjot’s father Devinder Singh, a former programme executive with All-India Radio, said his son had been a topper in the school and had joined the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, in 2014 for pursuing the MBBS course. He is fond of trekking, calligraphy and playing the guitar.
After being commissioned in 2019, he also served at the Command Hospital, Chandimandir, and has now been posted in Himachal Pradesh.
CORPORATE ELECTIONS MOHALI : ESM FULLSUPPORT CONGRESS CANDIDATES
Though there are number of Societies in Mohali where ESM reside like Jal vayu Vihar,Joginder Vihar ,Darshan Vihar . However a meet of solely ESM was organised and coordinated by Col Charanjit Khera(Retd) ,Gen secy Sanjha Morcha ( a ESM welfare association) to apprise and highlight various problems faced with suggestions for improvement to Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu , who is also a local MLA Mohali.
Hundreds of ESM attended including many Senior veteran officers like Brig Avtar Singh, Brig Harwant Singh, Brig Manohar Singh, Brig Bawa Grewal, Brig HPS Bedi VSM, Brig Jagtar Singh Grewal. Many burning issues regarding ESM were projected by various speakers . An issue of a widow Rajinder Kaur w/o H/Capt Balwant Singh was also highlighted . She has been asked by Military authorities Bhatinda to vacate the shop No P90/3 at Bhatinda Military station allocated to her husband in 1989 under resettlement scheme for ESM by 31 Mar 2021.The widow says they have invested 15 to 20 lakhs on the infrastructure of the shop. Many liability like house loan, car loan and education of grand-children. The Mil Authorities wants to implement new policy of 2018 laid down by central govt by misinterpreting the letter; The minister promised to take up the matter with the CM and the Defence minister at the centre. The widows is running from pillar to post to save her only source of earning, and looking for justice not to uproot her as she has no other means of lively hood to support her family. Sanjha Morcha appeals to The Military authorities to use their good judgement and discretion for the benefit of the widow.
ESM of Mohali also suggested to have separate sector for ESM in Mohali like in panchkula, Chandigarh,Nioda etc In order to have all facilities available in one locatin. A collective voice of ESM to Support farmers agitation with slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kissan” was also expressed by Col Ranjit Singh Boparai,President Sanjha Morcha who conducted the meet. Long pending One Rank One Pension was brought out by Sgt Jaswant Singh Khumbra.
BRIGHT PUNJAB NEWSPAPER :: Pdf FORM::CLICK TO READ
Balbir Singh Singh Sidhu as Health Minister Punjab received lot of appreciation the way he saved Punjab from Covid’s ruthless attack. During his address Brig HPS Bedi ,VSM cited personal example , wherein wonderful care was taken by the Punjab health department of a member of his family, who had tested positive. He also pointed out that the minister was always and his available to all citizens irrespective of any differentiation of cast, creed or political affiliation. He has brought number of new projects in Mohali like world class universities, Hospital and given grants to market and residential societies for development, which were standstill in previous govt regime and Municipal corporation.
The Hon’ble Minister in his address to the ESM , said that he being from Army family he is committed to welfare of ESM in his constituency . He highlighted that the present ESM residential societies were private hence govt could not give any type of grant for their development and maintence. ESM welfare has been and will be his top priority in future too. He assured that all possible help will be provided to societies within means. He suggested one and all to opt for Solar energy in domestic and societies residences reduce cost of electricity Bills and use savings in development activities .The ESM equally assured him that they will go all out to ensure victory of congress candidates in MC Mohali for its development.
India and China’s disengagement process to pull back their militaries from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is expected to be carried out in multiple phases.
Along the 823-km LAC in eastern Ladakh, both militaries are eyeball to eyeball at some locations. The disengagement process, which commenced yesterday, is only restricted to both banks of the Pangong Tso, a 135-km glacial lake. It is expected to complete in four weeks.
After Pangong Tso pullback, the next phase will include resumption of patrolling limits in certain LAC areas claimed by both sides. Thereafter, the issue of the 900-sq km Depsang plains located north of the Shyok river will be tackled. Located at an altitude of 16,000 feet, the Indian Army occupies a large portion of the Depsang plains while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China holds its eastern edge. There was a massive build-up by both sides in 2020, which needs to be scaled down. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday about the future course to ease the standoff. “There are some outstanding issues with regard to deployment and patrolling at some other points (besides the Pangong Tso) along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. These will be the focus of further discussions with the Chinese side,” he said.
Sources said the next phase would start after full verification of the completion of the first phase in the Pangong Tso area.
From India’s perspective, Depsang is vital as the PLA could threaten the Indian strategic airfield at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), located at 16,700 feet. The DBO is just 20 km south of 18,176-foot-high Karakoram pass, which divides Ladakh and Xinjiang in China.
Also the 255-km Darbuk-Shyok-DBO (DSDBO) road close to the LAC is vulnerable to threat, and any attempt to cut off DBO could restrict access to the Karakoram pass.
3 Key principles
India stresses both sides should strictly respect LAC
Neither side should attempt to alter status quo unilaterally
All pacts must be fully abided
Future course
Disengagement for now only focuses at Pangong Tso
Build-up at Depsang to be taken up in next phase
Resumption of patrolling on at least six routes to be sorted out
China to return to Finger 8: Rajnath Says won’t cede an inch | Indian troops to be based at Finger 3 | Pullback in phases
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 11
India and China have started disengaging from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake with a temporary moratorium on patrolling in the areas being vacated by both sides. A meeting of senior commanders within 48 hours of the complete disengagement will sort out the remaining wrinkles in the Pangong Tso sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced in the Rajya Sabha today.
Structures built since April 2020 on both banks to be removed
Temporary moratorium on patrolling in north bank
Patrolling to be resumed after pact
Next commanders’ meet within 48 hours of total disengagement in Pangong area
The Minister revealed specifics of the withdrawal on the north bank which began on Wednesday. The Chinese army will pull back its troops to the east of Finger 8 and Indian troops will be based at their permanent location near Finger 3 area. The area between Finger 3 and Finger 8 will not be patrolled till a resolution on future deployment is reached.
The bunkers and other structures built by the Chinese army between Finger 4 and 8 will be dismantled.
Some outstanding issues regarding deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh will be the focus of further discussions with the Chinese side. “This pact will substantially restore the situation to that existing prior to the commencement of the standoff last year,” Rajnath said, adding the aim is to achieve complete disengagement and restoration of status quo.
The disengagement will take place in a “phased, coordinated and verified” manner. “I want to remind the House we haven’t lost anything,” Rajnath declared. “Our approach has been guided by the resolve that we will not give even an inch of Indian territory. Our tenacity and approach during talks have yielded results,” he said.
With the backing of the Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Rajnath did not provide clarifications to members on grounds of national security considerations. The Defence Minister complimented the troops for their valour and courage on both banks of the Pangong Tso and said the nation would always remember the sacrifices by the soldiers which have been the foundation of the disengagement from the Pangong lake.
“Our armed forces proved yet again that territorial integrity of our country remains safe in their hands,” he added.
To ensure disengagement, the Indian side had insisted that troops of both sides, who are now in close proximity, should vacate the forward deployments made in 2020 and return to the permanent and accepted bases.
“Our approach and strategy for negotiations with the Chinese side has been guided at the highest level by the PM’s resolve that we will not give even an inch of the Indian territory,” he said.
Disengagement process
China to pull back to east of Finger 8 of Pangong lake north bank
Indian troops to be based at Dhan Singh Thapa post near Finger 3
Area between Finger 3 and 8 to be no-patrolling zone
China had built structures between Finger 4 and 8, blocking Indian patrols beyond Finger 4
Withdrawal also in south bank
5 months ago, India occupied strategic heights in south bank
VICTIM OF COORPORATE FARMING :: HOW FARMERS WILL LOOSE THEIR LANDS UNDRER NEW FARM LAWS
New Delhi, February 12, 2021: Samyukta Kisan Morcha announced scheduled of Kisan Mahapanchayat. The organization also condemned the anti-farmer statements of the Prime Minister. Saying that many laws have been made in this country without demanded by people, the Prime Minister has proved that these laws have not been demanded by the farmers. Opposite to it, the government is not serious on fair and genuine demand of “Karja Mukti; Pura Daam”.
“The round of Kisan Mahapanchayats continues against farm laws. A massive rally was organized in Jagraon of Punjab today in which farmers, as well as other citizens, showed huge participation. Farmers also held panchayat on Shambhu border,” said farmer leader Dr. Darshan Pal.
Addressing from the stage, the farmers’ leaders on the Singhu border expressed their views on the implementation of the upcoming programs of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. The farmers opposed the proposal of the Haryana government to install CCTV on Tikri morcha.
Kisan Mahapanchayats will be organized all over the country in the coming days. The teams of the SKM are planning the programs of the state-wise Mahapanchayats. Samyukta Kisan Morcha will not take back the protest until the repeal of three farm laws and legal recognition to MSP.
Schedule of some Mahapanchayats is given below 12 Feb – Bilari, Moradabad 13 Feb – PDM College Bahadurgarh Bypass 18 Feb – Raisingh Nagar, Sri Ganganagar Rajasthan 19 Feb – Hanumangarh, Rajasthan 23 Feb – Sikar, Rajasthan
45 Chinese soldiers killed in Galwan clash June last year, Russian news agency TASS says
Representational image of the Indian Army in Ladakh | ANI File Photo
New Delhi: Russian news agency TASS Wednesday claimed that “at least 20 Indian soldiers and 45 Chinese servicemen” were killed during the clashes at the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June last year.
In an article detailing the statement by the Chinese Defence Ministry on China and India withdrawing troops from the shared border near Pangong Tso lake, TASS said that “Chinese and Indian forces clashed in the region in May and June 2020, resulting in at least 20 Indian and 45 Chinese servicemen dead.”
The report also said that it is only after the ninth round of negotiations at the army commanders’ level that an agreement was reached for a simultaneous withdrawal of forces, which had increased to 50,000 on each side.
In June 2020, China had termed reports of more than 40 Chinese soldiers being killed in the face-off in eastern Ladakh as “fake news”.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had said, “As for what you saw in the media, for example some people alleged that casualties on the Chinese amounted to 40. I can tell you for sure this is fake news,’’ he said, without giving any details.
China refused to reveal casualties
While 20 Indian soldiers were killed in Galwan Valley clash, China did not reveal its casualty figure. When asked at a webinar about reports from US intelligence which said the China’s People’s Liberation Army has suffered 34 casualties, Beijing’s Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong did not answer the question and said it would not help in improving the situation.
Since the clash at Galwan Valley on 15 June last year, China has declined to comment on the casualties. However, reports said that a Chinese army commanding officer was among those killed.
There were also reports putting a number to the deaths on the Chinese side. BJP leader Kapil Mishra, who has also been accused of inciting mobs prior to the Delhi riots, falsely claimed that 100 Chinese soldiers were killed. While an American weekly news magazine, NewsWeek, claimed that over 60 Chinese soldiers were killed in the clash with India.
China, Russia and India are all part of the group of emerging national economies called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
China’s realisation that India won’t back down — that this stand-off could last longer than it calculated — was a key factor in forcing Beijing to agree to disengagement at Pangong Tso.
Indian and Chinese armoured columns pulling back from Rechin La on the southern side of Pangong Tso Wednesday | Credit: Army
New Delhi: A grueling winter deployment resulting in higher Chinese casualties than Indian, Beijing’s understanding that New Delhi is not backing down, coupled with the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in July — these are believed to be the reasons why China finally came around to disengaging at Pangong Tso in Ladakh, ThePrint has learnt.
Government sources said the disengagement process, which began Wednesday, was not sudden but had actually been under discussion since September — the same month that the Indian and Chinese foreign and defence ministers met in Russia. Since then, the sources added, there had been several rounds of discussion during which both India and China eased their stands.
The proposal for a phased disengagement, sources said, actually came from the Chinese after a call was set up between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi in July.
The call saw both sides agree to the “earliest complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquility”, for the first time after tensions erupted in Ladakh in April.
When External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar subsequently met his Chinese counterpart Wang on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting in Moscow two months later, both sides agreed to a step-by-step plan on “disengagement, de-escalation and finally restoration of status quo”, sources said.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh formally announced Thursday that India and China have agreed to disengage at Pangong Tso, one of the three flashpoint areas in the ongoing stand-off — the others are Gogra-Hot Springs and the crucial Depsang Plains.
According to Singh, the agreement reached will see the Chinese soldiers retreat to east of Finger 8 on the northern bank of the Pangong Tso, which marks the Line of Actual Control (LAC). During the stand-off, the Chinese had moved to Finger 4. Indian troops will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3, he said, adding that a similar action will be taken by both sides in the South Bank area.
Experts in defence and diplomacy have greeted the development with caution — noting that disengagement may be a tactical move by China in the face of its deteriorating relationship with the US, they said India should remain “vigilant”.
Over the course of the stand-off, India and China have conducted multiple rounds of talks at the military and diplomatic levels, but the stalemate, sources said, was finally tackled during the Corps Commander dialogue last month.
The stalemate was caused as India and China struggled to see eye-to-eye on how exactly to move forward with resolving the stand-off.
In September, China asked India to withdraw from certain crucial heights on the southern banks of the Pangong Tso — heights Indian soldiers occupied in an operation on the intervening night of 29-30 August that took the People’s Liberation Army by surprise.
India, meanwhile, insisted on disengagement at all friction points in Ladakh. However, the Chinese were not open to withdrawing from Finger 4, which they had captured in May 2020.
As the Chinese realised that India was not budging, sources said, China modified its proposal in October and brought in a plan for phased withdrawal. They said the PLA would withdraw from Finger 4 to Finger 5 and called for making Finger 4 a no-go area. This proposal, too, was rejected by India as it wanted the PLA to move behind Finger 8.
With the icy-cold Ladakh winter bringing temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius in November, China agreed to go behind Finger 8, sources said.
According to the proposal agreed to by both sides, the Chinese were to move back beyond Finger 8 and also remove all tents and observation posts set up in an 8-km area. Similarly, Indian troops were to move back to the Dhan Singh Thapa post, which is between Finger 2 and Finger 3.
After this broader agreement, the talks again went into a stalemate, and the next round of Corps Commander dialogue was not held until 24 January.
In the interim, India and China withdrew over 10,000 troops each from depth areas as part of a joint understanding while keeping soldiers untouched in forward locations.
Speaking to ThePrint, sources refused to get into the reasons for the stalemate. On 24 January, after talks lasting 16-and-a-half hours, the stalemate ended and both sides decided to go ahead with the disengagement.
Multiple talks were held at the local commanders level, sources said, to work out the nitty gritty of disengagement, which began Wednesday.
The row at the two other points — Gogra-Hot Springs and Depsang Plains — will take time to resolve, sources added.
Indian government sources said the Chinese had been keen to disengage before the winter set in, but India did not play ball.
According to them, Chinese troops were being posted to such forward locations for the first time and, contrary to belief that they were well-settled, the medical casualties were higher. The current stand-off marks the first time that India and China have deployed soldiers in forward areas in Ladakh during the region’s bitter winter.
Sources said the Indian operation in August had surprised the Chinese and they realised that India was not backing down and this face-off could last much longer than they had calculated.
Also on the Chinese mind, sources said, was the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in July and the “image President Xi Jinping wanted to portray”.
Xi, sources added, could not have a situation where the Chinese celebrated even as the stand-off with India continued.
M. Taylor Fravel, an eminent China scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said the two sides have been working towards this disengagement for quite some time.
“Although it remains early days, my view is that China is responding to the significant deterioration of US-China relations in the past year, and the way in which its international image has suffered in many countries, at a time when the party will launch the 14th five-year plan that is critical to its development goals,” Fravel added.
The 14th five-year plan (2021-2025) was unveiled by Xi in October 2020 at the fifth Plenum of the 19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
“The success of this plan requires China’s greater engagement with the world and thus greater stability and fewer points of friction with other states,” he said. “Thus, China seeks to prevent any further deterioration in ties with India and to prevent the risk of escalation that might upset its development plans.”
Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said India should remain vigilant, noting that disengagement at Pangong Tso can resolve the present stand-off, but the fundamental challenge of defining the LAC remains.
“This is a period of interregnum because uncertainty in bilateral relations continues to prevail… Xi has a ‘certain vision’ of the world and he will continue to pursue it relentlessly,” he added.
“The latest move can be seen as a tactical move because China’s relations with the US will deteriorate in the times to come. Signals from the Biden administration are not going in Beijing’s favour,” he said.
The US Department of Defense Wednesday announced the creation of a 15-member China Task Force to reassert its vision for the Indo-Pacific, which America believes China is “seeking to overturn”.
Jayadeva Ranade, former member of the National Security Advisory Board and an expert on China, welcomed the disengagement but remained sceptical of China.
“I don’t trust the Chinese and I am sure the government and the forces also don’t,” he said.
The withdrawal is not sudden and had been a matter of talks for some time, he added. One will have to wait and see the reaction in China to the disengagement process because “that will be a factor in how China carries the process forward”, he said.
One main reason for Chinese disengagement is that Beijing never calculated that India will be willing to carry forward the stand-off for so long, Ranade added.
