Siachen: New kits being offered to Indian soldiers serving in minus 57 degree cold, find out the cost

New Delhi, 28 June 2022, Tuesday

Weather is the biggest enemy for the Indian Army stationed on the Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield.

Special care is taken by the Army for the 3,000 Indian troops stationed here, even in temperatures as low as minus 57 degrees.

According to an estimate, the Indian government is spending Rs 5 crore a day on the troops here. The new personal kits given to Indian Army personnel since last year cost around Rs 1.5 lakh.

It is so cold here that even if the gun is stuck with open hand just to fire a gun shot, frost bite means frost bite. Due to which it is the turn of cutting off the fingers or toes.

The new personnel kit, which has been introduced to the army, was also inspected by Army Chief General Narwane during his visit to Siachen last year.

This kit has multilayered Extreme Winter Clothing and is priced at Rs 28000. The cost of the sleeping bag included in the kit is Rs 13000. Jackets and special gloves cost Rs 14,000 and a pair of trousers shoes costs Rs 12,500.

The kit also includes an oxygen cylinder of Rs 50,000 as well as equipment worth Rs 8,000 to find the jawan trapped under the ice.

The Indian Army is providing state-of-the-art kits to the troops because the weather is the biggest enemy of the troops here. The temperature here is mostly minus 50 degrees. An estimated 839 Indian soldiers have lost their lives due to the weather since 2015, when India set up a military base here in 1984.