LeGenD
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Without firing a single shot, Indian and Chinese soldiers recently engaged in a bloodbath in the Galwan Valley. The scuffle between the two nuclear-armed nations in the disputed Himalayan border region led to the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers.
The disputed Aksai Chin-Ladakh area
The 255km Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road that connects Leh to the Karakoram Pass runs almost parallel to the border separating Ladakh from China’s Xinjiang province. It runs alongside the Shyok River, a critical communication line close to the LAC. The road, which has been two decades in the making, would allow the rapid deployment of Indian troops to the disputed area and has become a flashpoint between the Asian giants.
Another point of contention is the China National Highway 219 (G219) connecting Xinjiang to Tibet. Originally built in 1957 and made of gravel, G219 was upgraded to asphalt in 2013. About 179km of the highway passes through the disputed Aksai Chin plateau.
The deadly clash in Galwan Valley
The fatal face-off took place in the moonlight on June 15, when soldiers from the Indian Army clashed with troops from the People’s Liberation Army close to Patrol Point 14 in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh, more than 4,300 metres above sea level.
The Galwan River is the highest ridge line and overlooks the DSDBO road, posing a direct threat to the highway’s security. By controlling this area China can keep India’s claims on the Aksai Chin plateau in check. India claims China has recently begun amassing troops in the LAC and venturing deeper into the contested area.
China is also constructing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to the west of Daulat Beg Oldie, in the critical Gilgit-Baltistan region where China abuts Pakistan and India.
The Galwan Valley contains some of the most treacherous terrain on Earth. Conditions are extreme. Steep slopes of almost 50 per cent are jagged and full of loose rocks. The landscape, altitude and lack of oxygen makes physical activity highly demanding. The slope where the clash occurred is shown in the following satellite image from the opposite angle.
Full read in the following link: https://multimedia.scmp.com/infogra...3091480/China-India-border-dispute/index.html
Something factual and well-researched in relation to the theme after a while. This article also contain excellent info-graphics highlighting geographical realities of the 'regions of interest' as well as history of boundary issues between India and China.
Two interesting realities to consider.
1. The most recent clashes have occurred in regions subject to firearms ban:
Firearm ban
India and China signed a series of border agreements in 1993, 1996 and 2005. The 1996 agreement sought to reduce aggression by banning firearms and explosives within 2km of the LAC. An exception is made for military exercises, which allows for limited range weapons.
As a result, when the Indian soldiers encountered Chinese troops on June 15 both sides attacked each other with bare fists and medieval-looking clubs spiked with nails and wrapped in barbed wire. A video that circulated online showed how some Indian soldiers died in the fight, while others from falling into the icy river below.
2. These clashes have occurred in regions where human body may experience substantial problems:
Health effects
The low atmospheric oxygen, low humidity, and strong ultraviolet radiation experienced at high altitudes can induce a number of pathophysiological phenomena, which can lead to disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and ocular systems.
Military operations 4,000 metres above sea level represent complex challenges. Soldiers need to stop at different heights over several days to acclimatise to the altitude. Ascending too quickly can put even young and healthy soldiers at grave risk of acute altitude sickness, pulmonary oedema, and cerebral oedema.
Even after they acclimatise, the speed at which soldiers can move is compromised, as are the loads they can carry, and they need to consume additional calories to remain fit and healthy.
In addition to altitude challenges the temperature adds further stress to the soldiers’ well-being, with humans unable to withstand prolonged periods in temperatures above 50ºC or below -26ºC, which are common in the region.
ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS (AMS)
The mildest form of altitude sickness, AMS is produced by a lack of oxygen and can affect anybody. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, irritability, dizziness and sleep disturbance, and can appear three to 24 hours after ascent. The incidence and severity vary with the initial altitude, rate of ascent, level of effort, and individual body conditions.
Symptom scale in a rapid ascent
Above 4,000 metres, most people who have not gone through an acclimatisation process will lose 20 per cent of their normal skills, which may persist after acclimatisation. At least half of all people without acclimatisation will experience some or all of the symptoms for several days. Height also affects a series of cognitive abilities, deficiencies in psychomotor performance, mental abilities or the ability to react quickly, Surveillance capacity, memory and logical reasoning are also affected.
ORGANIC EFFECTS
High-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE)
An emergency in which swelling of the brain occurs because of high altitude. Early diagnosis is imperative as it can lead to death within 24 hours if untreated.
Eyes
At the extreme heights of Ladakh and Sikkim, a soldier's eyesight may change. Low air pressure can induce corneal distortion (causing nearsightedness), diminish low light vision, and degrade depth perception.
High altitude pulmonary endema (HAPE)
In normal lungs, air sacs (alveoli) take in oxygen. In high-altitude pulmonary edema vessels in the lungs constrict and cause increased pressure. This causes fluid to leak from the blood vessels to the lung tissues and eventually into the air sacs.
Renal function and fluid balance
A reduction in plasma volume occurs 5 percent, body water is also reduced by 5 percent, mainly because of lower water intake, changes in thirst regulation, anti diuresis, fluid retention and disorders in urine production.
Cardiovascular changes
Increased resting and moving heart rates. These levels return to normal after an adequate acclimatization process.
