Siachen Glacier#Dispute

File:Un-kashmir-jammu.png in Kashmir, which ends at the point NJ980420]]

File:Map India and Pakistan 1-250,000 Tile NI 43-4 Chulung.jpg, 1953){{efn|From map: "THE DELINEATION OF INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES ON THIS MAP MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED AUTHORITATIVE"}}]]

File:Txu-oclc-6654394-ni-43-5th-ed.jpg, 1966){{efn|From map: "THE DELINEATION OF INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED AUTHORITATIVE"}}]]

"Sia" in the Balti language refers to the rose family plant widely dispersed in the region. "Chen" refers to any object found in abundance. Thus the name Siachen refers to a land with an abundance of roses. The naming of the glacier itself, or at least its currency, is attributed to Tom Longstaff.

Both India and Pakistan claim sovereignty over the entire Siachen region.{{Cite book

|last = Lyon

|first = Peter

|title = Conflict Between India and Pakistan: An Encyclopedia

|publisher = ABC-CLIO, 2009

|isbn = 9781576077122|year = 2008

}} In June 1958, first Geological Survey of India expedition went to the Siachen glacier.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-first-gsi-survey-of-the-siachen/article67077315.ece|title=The first GSI survey of the Siachen|website=The Hindu |date=13 July 2023 |last1=Paul |first1=Amit K. }} It was the first official Indian survey of Siachen Glacier by Geological Survey of India post-1947 and that was undertaken to commemorate the International Geophysical Year in 1958. The study included snout surveying of five glaciers namely Siachen, Mamostong, Chong Kumdan, Kichik Kumdan and Aktash Glaciers in Ladakh region. 5Q 131 05 084 was the number assigned to the Siachen glacier by the expedition. U.S. and Pakistani maps in the 1970s and 1980s consistently showed a dotted line from NJ9842 (the northernmost demarcated point of the India-Pakistan cease-fire line, also known as the Line of Control) to the Karakoram Pass,{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/opinion/kumars-line-vs-hodgsons-line-the-lakshman-rekha-that-started-an-india-pakistan-fight/791557/|title=Kumar's line vs Hodgson's line: The 'Lakshman rekha' that started an India-Pakistan fight|date=31 December 2021 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/lifestyle/books-and-art/151022/how-india-got-hodgsons-line-erased-and-won-the-race-to-siachen.html|title=How India got Hodgson's Line erased and won the race to Siachen|date=15 October 2022 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/graphics/the-cartographic-nightmare-of-the-kashmir-region-explained-feature|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218093527/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/graphics/the-cartographic-nightmare-of-the-kashmir-region-explained-feature|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 February 2021|title=The 'cartographic nightmare' of the Kashmir region, explained|website=National Geographic Society }} which India believed to be a cartographic error and in violation of the Simla Agreement. In 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot, a military operation that gave India control over all of the Siachen Glacier, including its tributaries.{{Cite book

|last = Wirsing

|first = Robert

|title = War Or Peace on the Line of Control?: The India-Pakistan Dispute Over Kashmir Turns Fifty

|publisher = IBRU, 1998

|isbn = 9781897643310|year = 1998

}} Between 1984 and 1999, frequent skirmishes took place between India and Pakistan.{{Cite book

|last = Dettman

|first = Paul

|title = India Changes Course: Golden Jubilee to Millennium

|publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001

|isbn = 9780275973087|year = 2001

}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110602/edit.htm|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Opinions|website=The Tribune}} Indian troops under Operation Meghdoot pre-empted Pakistan's Operation Ababeel by just one day to occupy most of the dominating heights on Saltoro Ridge to the west of Siachen Glacier.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Siachen-height-provides-military-depth-India-cant-afford-to-lose/articleshow/50953480.cms|title=Siachen height provides military depth India can't afford to lose | India News|website=The Times of India|date=12 February 2016 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mid-day.com/articles/story-of-saltoro----from-ababeel-to-meghdoot/160184|title=Story of Saltoro – From Ababeel to Meghdoot|date=26 April 2012|website=mid-day}} However, more soldiers have died from the harsh weather conditions in the region than from combat.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2012-apr-08-la-fg-pakistan-avalanche-20120408-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date= 8 April 2012|access-date=14 April 2012|first=Alex|last=Rodriguez|title=Avalanche buries Pakistan base; 117 soldiers feared dead}} Pakistan lost 353 soldiers in various operations recorded between 2003 and 2010 near Siachen, including 140 Pakistanis killed in the 2012 Gayari Sector avalanche.{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/bleeding-in-siachen-pakistan-losing-30-soldiers-a-year-on-highest-battlefield/articleshow/49012146.cms|title=Bleeding in Siachen: Pakistan losing 30 soldiers a year on highest battlefield|first=Manu|last=Pubby|newspaper=The Economic Times|date=18 September 2015 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/photos/news/rescue-operations-at-gayari-sector-after-pakistan-avalanche-12822|title=Rescue operations at Gayari Sector after Pakistan avalanche, Photo Gallery|work=NDTV.com}} Between January 2012 and July 2015, 33 Indian soldiers died due to adverse weather.{{Cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/33-indian-soldiers-killed-in-siachen-since-2012-govt-115073101052_1.html|title=33 Indian soldiers killed in Siachen since 2012: govt|agency=Press Trust of India|date=31 July 2015|work=Business Standard}} In December 2015, Indian Union Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that a total of 869 Army personnel have died on the Siachen glacier due to climatic conditions and environmental and other factors from the date that the Army launched Operation Meghdoot in 1984.{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-siachen-869-army-men-died-battling-the-elements/article7978149.ece|title=In Siachen, 869 Army men died battling the elements|author=Dinakar Peri|work=The Hindu|date=11 December 2015 }} In February 2016, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar stated that India will not vacate Siachen, as there is a trust deficit with Pakistan and also said that 915 people have died in Siachen since Operation Meghdoot in 1984.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Wont-vacate-Siachen-we-cant-trust-Pakistan-says-Manohar-Parrikar/articleshow/51158511.cms|title=Won't vacate Siachen, we can't trust Pakistan, says Manohar Parrikar | India News|website=The Times of India|date=26 February 2016 }} According to official records, only 220 Indian soldiers have been killed by enemy bullets since 1984 in Siachen area.{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/blogs/isro-space-technology-siachen-india-army-soldiers/|title=Here's how ISRO's space technology can save lives of soldiers at Siachen|date=3 April 2016}} Both India and Pakistan continue to deploy thousands of troops in the vicinity of Siachen and attempts to demilitarize the region have been so far unsuccessful. Prior to 1984, neither country had any military forces in this area.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/kashmir-s-siachen-glacier-a-frigid-outpost-in-india-pakistan-conflict-1.1221710|title=Kashmir's Siachen glacier a frigid outpost in India-Pakistan conflict|date=7 April 2012|newspaper=CBC Canada|access-date=14 April 2012}}{{Cite book

|last = Eur

|title = Far East and Australasia 2003

|publisher = Routledge, 2002

|isbn = 9781857431339|year =2002

}}{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/siachen-a-huge-human-cost-for-a-piece-of-ice/445641-3-245.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117123532/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/siachen-a-huge-human-cost-for-a-piece-of-ice/445641-3-245.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-01-17|title=- News18}}

Aside from the Indian and Pakistani military presence, the glacier region is unpopulated. The nearest civilian settlement is the village of Warshi, 10 miles downstream from the Indian base camp.{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/1998/98aug29/saturday/head2.htm|title=World's highest, biggest junkyard|newspaper=The Tribune|date= 29 August 1998|access-date=8 April 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/368394/the-fight-for-siachen/|title=The fight for Siachen|date=22 April 2012|work=The Express Tribune}} The region is also extremely remote, with limited road connectivity. On the Indian side, roads go only as far as the military base camp at Dzingrulma ({{Coord|35.1663|N|77.2162|E}}), 72 km from the head of the glacier.{{cite web|url=http://www.cmc.sandia.gov/cmc-papers/sand20075670.pdf|title=Demilitarization of the Siachen Conflict Zone: Concepts for Implementation and Monitoring|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417040258/http://www.cmc.sandia.gov/cmc-papers/sand20075670.pdf|archive-date=17 April 2012}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1247951|title=Settle Siachen|first=A. G.|last=Noorani|date=26 March 2016|website=Dawn|location=Pakistan}} The Indian Army has developed various means to reach the Siachen region, including the Manali-Leh-Khardung La-Siachen route. In 2012, Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army General Bikram Singh said that the Indian Army should stay in the region for strategic advantages, and because a "lot of blood has been shed" by Indian armed personnel for Siachen.{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-19/news/33952523_1_siachen-issue-bikram-singh-present-troop-positions|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222151210/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-19/news/33952523_1_siachen-issue-bikram-singh-present-troop-positions|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2014|title=India must continue to hold on to Siachen: Bikram Singh, Army Chief General|work=timesofindia-economictimes}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-should-stay-put-in-siachen-says-general-bikram-singh/article4130883.ece|title=Army should stay put in Siachen, says General Bikram Singh|author=Mohamed Nazeer|work=The Hindu|date=24 November 2012 }} The present ground positions, relatively stable for over a decade, mean that India maintains control over all of the {{convert|76|km|mi}} Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as all the main passes and heights of the Saltoro Ridge{{cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/846-indian-soldiers-have-died-in-siachen-since-1984-112082802005_1.html|title=846 Indian soldiers have died in Siachen since 1984|first=Ajai|last=Shukla|date=28 August 2012|work=Business Standard}} immediately west of the glacier, including Sia La, Bilafond La, Gyong La, Yarma La (6,100m), and {{ILL|Chulung La|ceb}} (5,800m).{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110606/edit.htm|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India – Opinions|website=The Tribune}} Pakistan controls the glacial valleys immediately west of the Saltoro Ridge.{{cite book |last = Wirsing |first = Robert |title = Pakistan's security under Zia, 1977–1988: the policy imperatives of a peripheral Asian state |publisher = Palgrave Macmillan, 1991 |isbn = 9780312060671|date = 13 December 1991 }}{{cite book |last = Child |first = Greg |title = Thin air: encounters in the Himalayas |publisher = The Mountaineers Books, 1998 |isbn = 9780898865882 |url-access = registration |url = https://archive.org/details/thinairencounter00chil |year = 1998 }} According to TIME magazine, India gained over {{convert|1000|sqmi|km2|sigfig=1}} in territory because of its 1980s military operations in Siachen.{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958254-2,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312141921/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958254-2,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=12 March 2007 | magazine=Time | title=The Himalayas War at the Top of the World | date=31 July 1989}} India has categorically stated that India will not pull its army from Siachen until the 110-km long AGPL is first authenticated, delineated and then demarcated.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/special-report/story/19920531-siachen-while-the-battle-continues-to-rage-no-settlement-is-in-sight-766379-2013-06-13|title=Siachen: While the battle continues to rage, no settlement is in sight|author=W. P. S. Sidhu |date=June 13, 2013 |magazine=India Today}}{{cite web|url=http://www.timescrest.com/opinion/bullish-on-siachen-9572|title=Bullish on Siachen|author=Praveen Dass|work=The Crest Edition|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222021918/http://www.timescrest.com/opinion/bullish-on-siachen-9572|archive-date=22 February 2014}}

File:Sia plant.jpg. Balti people grow this rose family in their houses as decoration, and its bark is used in payo cha (butter tea) instead of green tea leaves in some areas]]

The 1949 Karachi agreement only carefully delineated the line of separation to point NJ9842, after which, the agreement states, the line of separation would continue "thence north to the glaciers".{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/defence/story/19871031-siachen-glacier-indian-troops-repulse-major-pakistani-offensive-799435-1987-10-31|title=Siachen glacier: Indian troops repulse major Pakistani offensive|author=Raj Chengappa |date=October 31, 1987 |magazine=India Today}}{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/events/riding-on/article5664702.ece|title=Riding on|author=P. ANIMA|work=The Hindu|date=7 February 2014 }}{{Cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/army-opposes-pakistans-demand-for-troop-withdrawal-from-siachen-glacier/1203767/|title=Army opposes Pakistan's demand for troop withdrawal from Siachen Glacier – Indian Express|website=The Indian Express}}{{cite web|title=UN Map showing CFL as per Karachi Agreement – UN document number S/1430/Add.2|url=http://repository.un.org/bitstream/handle/11176/87063/S_1430_Add.2-EN.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y|website=Dag Digital Library|access-date=30 May 2015}} According to the Indian stance, the line of separation should continue roughly northwards along the Saltoro Range to the west of the Siachen glacier beyond NJ9842;{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/column/why-india-cannot-afford-to-give-up-siachen/20120413.htm|title=Why India cannot afford to give up Siachen|date=13 April 2012|work=Rediff}} international boundary lines that follow mountain ranges often do so by following the watershed drainage divide such as that of the Saltoro Range.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gktoday.in/gk/siachen-glacier-dispute/|title=Siachen Glacier Dispute – GKToday}} The 1972 Simla Agreement made no change to the 1949 Line of Control in this northernmost sector.

File:Shyok2.svg

The glacier's melting waters are the main source of the Nubra River in the Indian region of Ladakh, which drains into the Shyok River. The Shyok in turn joins the 3000 kilometre-long Indus River which flows through Pakistan. Thus, the glacier is a major source of the Indus{{cite book|author=H.C. Sadangi|title=India's Relations with Her Neighbours|date=31 March 2007|publisher=Isha Books|isbn=978-8182054387|page=219|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-VUgSG8bcP0C&q=Indus+river+siachen&pg=PA219|access-date=26 April 2012}} and feeds the largest irrigation system in the world.{{cite book|author=Rashid Faruqee|title=Strategic Reforms for Agricultural Growth in Pakistan|date=November 1999|publisher=World Bank Publications|isbn=978-0821343364|page=87|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0sQIL357hkMC&q=Indus+river+irrigated+area&pg=PA87|access-date=26 April 2012}}

The glacier was uninhabited before 1984, and the presence of thousands of troops since then has introduced pollution and melting to the glacier. To support the troops, glacial ice has been cut and melted with chemicals.{{Cite web |title=Environmental Impact of Siachen Conflict – DW – 01/05/2010 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/environmental-impact-of-siachen-conflict/a-5211804 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=dw.com |language=en}}

Dumping of non-biodegradable waste in large quantities and the use of arms and ammunition have considerably affected the ecosystem of the region.{{cite book|author=ActionAid|title=Natural Resource Management in South Asia|year=2010|publisher=Pearson Education|isbn=978-8131729434|page=58|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Wn-yO5iSgsC&pg=PA58|access-date=27 April 2012|author-link=ActionAid}}

Preliminary findings of a survey by Pakistan Meteorological Department in 2007 revealed that the Siachen glacier has been retreating for the past 30 years and is melting at an alarming rate.{{cite book|author=K.R. Gupta|title=Global Warming (Encyclopaedia of Environment)|year=2008|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|isbn=978-8126908813|pages=105–112|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vza8kSHGS90C&pg=PA105|access-date=25 April 2012}} The study of satellite images of the glacier showed that the glacier is retreating at a rate of about 110 metres a year and that the glacier size has decreased by almost 35 percent.{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-9048126415|pages=1138–1142|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mKKtQR4T-1MC&pg=PA1139|author=Y. S. Rao|editor=Vijay P. Singh|access-date=30 April 2012|chapter=Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry for Glacier Movement Studies|date=3 November 2011}} In an eleven-year period, the glacier had receded nearly 800 metres,{{cite book|title=Meeting the Mountains|date=March 1998|publisher=Indus Publishing Company|isbn=978-8173870859|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xd1Iwwc6AZwC&pg=PA266|author=Harish Kapadia|author-link=Harish Kapadia|edition=1st|access-date=30 April 2012|page=275}} and in seventeen years about 1700 metres. It is predicted that the glaciers of the Siachen region will be reduced to about one-fifth of their 2011 size by 2035.{{cite book|title=Climate Change and National Security: A Country-Level Analysis|publisher=Georgetown University Press|isbn=978-1589017412|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3B0kph7i_XYC&pg=PA86|author=Daniel Moran|access-date=8 May 2012|page=86|date=22 March 2011}} In the twenty-nine-year period 1929–1958, well before the military occupation, the glacial retreat was recorded to be about 914 metres.{{cite book|title=Discovering Himalaya : Tourism of Himalaya Region|publisher=Isha Books|isbn=978-8182054103|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ugFIz7ph-kEC|author=K.S. Gulia|access-date=10 May 2012|page=92|date=2 September 2007}} One of the reasons theorized for the recent glacial retreat is chemical blasting, to construct camps and posts.{{cite news|title=Snow white coffins of Siachen|url=http://www.newstoday.com.bd/?option=details&news_id=2310501&date=2012-04-22|access-date=30 April 2012|newspaper=The News Today|date=22 April 2012}} In 2001 India laid oil pipelines (about 250 kilometres long) inside the glacier to supply kerosene and aviation fuel to the outposts from base camps.{{cite web|title=Demilitarization of the Siachen Conflict Zone: Concepts for Implementation and Monitoring|url=http://www.cmc.sandia.gov/cmc-papers/sand20075670.pdf|publisher=Sandia National Laboratories|access-date=30 April 2012|author=Asad Hakeem, Gurmeet Kanwal|author2=Michael Vannoni|author3=Gaurav Rajen|location=Albuquerque, New Mexico|page=28|id=SAND2007-5670|date=September 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417040258/http://www.cmc.sandia.gov/cmc-papers/sand20075670.pdf|archive-date=17 April 2012}} As of 2007, the temperature rise at Siachen was estimated at 0.2-degree Celsius annually, causing melting, avalanches, and crevasses in the glacier.

The waste produced by the troops stationed there is dumped in the crevasses of the glacier. Mountaineers who visited the area while on climbing expeditions witnessed large amount of garbage, empty ammunition shells, parachutes etc. dumped on the glacier, that neither decomposes nor can be burned because of the extreme climatic conditions.{{cite book|title=Across Peaks & Passes in Ladakh, Zanskar & East Karakoram|publisher=Indus Publishing Company|isbn=978-8173871009|pages=189–190|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pl5qHu_K45kC&pg=PA171|author=Harish Kapadia|author-link=Harish Kapadia|access-date=30 April 2012|date=30 November 1999}} About {{convert|1000|kg|short ton}} of waste is produced and dumped in glacial crevasses daily by Indian forces. The Indian army is said to have planned a "Green Siachen, Clean Siachen" campaign to airlift the garbage from the glacier, and to use biodigestors for biodegradable waste in the absence of oxygen and freezing temperatures.{{cite news|title=Military activity leads to melting of Siachen glaciers|url=http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/science/archive/070324/science11.htm|access-date=25 April 2012|newspaper=Dawn|date=24 March 2007}} Almost forty percent (40%) of the waste left at the glacier is plastic and metal, including toxins such as cobalt, cadmium and chromium that eventually affect the water of the Shyok River (which ultimately enters the Indus River near Skardu). The Indus is used for drinking and irrigation.{{cite journal |author=Neal A. Kemkar|year=2006|title=Environmental peacemaking: Ending conflict between India and Pakistan on the Siachen Glacier through the creation of a transboundary peace park|journal=Stanford Environmental Law Journal|volume=25|issue=1|pages=67–121|location=Stanford, California|publisher=Stanford University School of Law|id=ANA-074909|access-date=25 April 2012|url=http://www.uvm.edu/~shali/kemkar_siachen.pdf}}{{cite journal|title=The Coldest War|journal=Outside|date=1 February 2003|url=http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/123274783.html?page=all|access-date=30 April 2012|author=Kevin Fedarko|editor1-first=Nicholas|editor1-last=Jackson|publisher=Mariah Media Network|issn=0278-1433|asin=B001OTEIG8}} Research is being done by scientists of The Energy and Resources Institute, to find ways to successfully dispose of the garbage generated at the glacier using scientific means. Some scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation who went on an expedition to Antarctica are also working to produce a bacterium that can thrive in extreme weather conditions and can be helpful in decomposing the biodegradable waste naturally.{{cite book|title=Indian Affairs Annual 2006|publisher=Kalpaz Publications|isbn=978-8178355290|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cN2d9IIrTO0C&pg=PA84|author=Mahendra Gaur|access-date=11 May 2012|page=84|date=8 August 2006}}

The flora and fauna of the Siachen region are also affected by the huge military presence. The region is home to rare species including snow leopard, brown bear and ibex that are at risk because of the military presence.{{cite news|title=Siachen Snow Under Fire|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/indiatoday/20041101/environment.html|access-date=6 May 2012|newspaper=India Today|date=1 November 2004|author=Supriya Bezbaruah}}{{cite news|title=Siachen tragedy – day 5: Bad weather dogs avalanche search efforts|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/362986/siachen-tragedy-day-5-bad-weather-dogs-pakistan-avalanche-search-efforts/|access-date=20 May 2012|newspaper=The Express Tribune|date=11 April 2012|author=Emmanuel Duparcq|agency=Agence France-Presse}}

{{Main|Siachen conflict}}

The glacier's region is the highest battleground on Earth,{{cite news|title=16 Things You Should Know About India's Soldiers Defending Siachen|url=http://topyaps.com/know-about-indian-soldiers-in-siachen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141031102028/http://topyaps.com/know-about-indian-soldiers-in-siachen|url-status=usurped|archive-date=31 October 2014|access-date=16 May 2014|newspaper=Topyaps|date=1 November 2014|author=Kamal Thakur}} where Pakistan and India have fought intermittently since April 1984.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/how-a-tiny-line-on-a-map-led-to-conflict-in-the-himalaya-feature?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218151854/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/how-a-tiny-line-on-a-map-led-to-conflict-in-the-himalaya-feature|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 February 2021|title=How a tiny line on a map led to conflict in the Himalaya|website=National Geographic Society }} Both countries maintain a permanent military presence in the region at a height of over {{convert|6000|m|abbr=on}}.

Both India and Pakistan have wished to disengage from the costly military outposts. India launched Operation Meghdoot to occupy Siachen Glacier in 1984. Then, due to the Pakistani incursions during the Kargil War in 1999, India abandoned plans to withdraw from Siachen, wary of further Pakistani incursions if they vacate the Siachen Glacier posts.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the area, during which he called for a peaceful resolution of the problem. After that present Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited this place. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari also visited an area near the Siachen Glacier called Gayari Sector during 2012 with Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.{{cite web|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/366395/siachen-tragedy-zardari-kayani-visit-giari-sector/|title=Pakistan wants resolution of Siachen issue: Kayani|date=18 April 2012|work=The Express Tribune}} Both of them showed their commitment to resolve the Siachen conflict as early as possible. In the previous year, the President of India, Abdul Kalam became the first head of state to visit the area.

Since September 2007, India has opened up limited mountaineering and trekking expeditions to the area. The first group included cadets from Chail Military School, National Defence Academy, National Cadet Corps, Indian Military Academy, Rashtriya Indian Military College and family members of armed forces officers. The expeditions are also meant to show to the international audience that Indian troops hold "almost all dominating heights" on the key Saltoro Ridge and to show that Pakistani troops are nowhere near the Siachen Glacier.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121024115859/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-09-13/india/27962396_1_glacial-heights-siachen-glacier-saltoro-ridge-audience-that-indian-troops India opens Siachen to trekkers] The Times of India 13 September 2007 Ignoring protests from Pakistan, India maintains that it does not need anyone's approval to send trekkers to Siachen, in what it says is essentially its own territory.[https://web.archive.org/web/20121024115908/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-09-17/india/27962954_1_siachen-charuhas-joshi-mukund-deodhar India hits back at Pak over Siachen issue] The Times of India 17 September 2007 In addition, the Indian Army's Army Mountaineering Institute (AMI) functions out of the region.

File:Army Jawans performing Yoga, on the occasion of the 3rd International Day of Yoga – 2017, at Siachen on June 21, 2017 (1).jpg Jawans performing yoga, on the occasion of the 3rd International Day of Yoga – 2017, at Siachen on June 21, 2017]]

The idea of declaring the Siachen region a "Peace Park" was presented by environmentalists and peace activists in part to preserve the ecosystem of the region badly affected by the military presence.{{cite book|title=Kashmir: The Economics of Peace Building|publisher=Center for Strategic & International Studies|isbn=978-0892064809|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3vBIxiC4pwcC&pg=PA57|author=Teresita C. Schaffer|access-date=30 April 2012|page=57|date=20 December 2005}} In September 2003, the governments of India and Pakistan were urged by the participants of the 5th World Parks Congress held at Durban, to establish a peace park in the Siachen region to restore the natural biological system and protect species whose lives are at risk.{{cite news|title=Exchange Siachen confrontation for peace|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/16/stories/2007021604381100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070220203233/http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/16/stories/2007021604381100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 February 2007|access-date=6 May 2012|date=16 February 2007|author=Isa Daudpota|author2=Arshad H. Abbasi|newspaper=The Hindu|location=Chennai, India}} Italian ecologist Giuliano Tallone said the ecological life was at serious risk, and proposed setting up a Siachen Peace Park at the conference.{{cite news|title=Out of the box ideas for glacier: Siachen could become bio reserve or peace park|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050614/asp/nation/story_4865292.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108133629/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050614/asp/nation/story_4865292.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2014|access-date=20 May 2012|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=14 June 2005|author=Sujan Dutta|location=Calcutta, India}} After a proposal of a transboundary Peace Park was floated, the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organised a conference at Geneva and invited Indian and Pakistani mountaineers (Mandip Singh Soin, Harish Kapadia, Nazir Sabir and Sher Khan).{{cite book|title=Incredible Himalayas|publisher=Indus Books|isbn=978-8173871795|pages=213–217|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y5CXbqpzmhIC&pg=PA214

|author=Harish Kapadia|editor=Yogendra Bali, R. S. Somi|access-date=30 April 2012|chapter=Chapter 34: Siachen: A Peace Proposal|date=1 December 2005}} The region was nominated for inclusion in the United Nations' World Heritage List as a part of the Karakoram range, but this was deferred by the World Heritage Committee.{{cite web|title=Sites deferred by the Committee which may merit re-nomination|url=http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/WH-WP-006.pdf|work=A Global Overview of Mountain Protected Areas on the World Heritage List|publisher=International Union for Conservation of Nature|access-date=30 April 2012|author=Jim Thorsell|author2=Larry Hamilton |page=15|date=September 2002}} The areas to the east and west of the Siachen region have already been declared national parks: the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary in India and the Central Karakoram National Park in Pakistan.{{cite book|title=Biodiversity conservation and protected areas|publisher=Giuffrè|isbn=978-8814133657|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZtSVDINvVqkC&pg=PA6|author=G. Tamburelli|access-date=30 April 2012|page=6|date=1 January 2007}}

Sandia National Laboratories organised conferences where military experts and environmentalists from both India and Pakistan and also from other countries were invited to present joint papers. Kent L. Biringer, a researcher at Cooperative Monitoring Center of Sandia Labs suggested setting up Siachen Science Center, a high-altitude research centre where scientists and researchers from both the countries can carry out research activities related to glaciology, geology, atmospheric sciences and other related fields.{{cite book|title=Siachen Science Center: A concept for cooperation at the top of the world (Cooperative Monitoring Center Occasional Paper No. SAND—98-0505/2, 589204)|publisher=Sandia National Laboratories|url=http://www.osti.gov/scitech/servlets/purl/589204|date= 1 March 1998|author=K. L. Biringer|doi=10.2172/589204 |access-date=19 May 2014}}{{cite news|title=US expert at Sandia wants Siachen converted into Science Centre|url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_20-8-2004_pg7_38|access-date=20 May 2012|newspaper=Daily Times|date=20 August 2004|author=Wajahat Ali}}

In the 2018 Hollywood movie Mission: Impossible – Fallout, a rogue agent plants nuclear bombs at the base of the Siachen Glacier. The scene was actually filmed in Preikestolen, Norway, due to the Indian government denying permission to film in Kashmir.{{Cite web |title=Tom Cruise's mission impossible... |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/tom-cruise-s-mission-impossible-fallout-has-no-mention-of-kashmir-thanks-to-cbfc/story-708PY4TkngxNNHpSGbNsFO_amp.html&ved=2ahUKEwj2rJWu2M-BAxWPavUHHX05DFEQFnoECCcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1jcXR7lGccDtk2auhU28i0 |website=Hindustan Times| date=27 July 2018 }}

• Batura Glacier
• Colonel Narendra Kumar
• NJ9842
• Indira Col
• Robert D. Hodgson
• Baltoro Glacier
• Saltoro Kangri
• Sia La
• Bilafond La
• Gyong La
• Actual Ground Position Line
• 2016 Siachen Glacier avalanche
• Siachen Muztagh

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• Myra MacDonald (2008) Heights of Madness: One Woman's Journey in Pursuit of a Secret War, Rupa, New Delhi {{ISBN|8129112922}}. The first full account of the Siachen war to be told from the Indian and Pakistani sides.
• V. R. Raghavan, Siachen: Conflict Without End, Viking, New Delhi, 2002
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20111215024320/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1079528,00.html TIME Asia's cover story on Siachen Glacier (July 11, 2005)]
• Kunal Verma / Rajiv Williams, The Long Road to Siachen: the Question Why, Rupa & Co., New Delhi, 2010
• [http://washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050418-071954-5399r.htm Analysis: Peace may return to Siachen] – The Washington Times
• [http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=155765&Cat=9&dt=1/6/2009 Siachen by Arshad H Abbasi]

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NPANLHtQGE Video about the Conflict in the Siachen area and its consequences]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070821140939/http://www.uvm.edu/~envprog/k2peacepark.htm Siachen Peace Park Initiative]
• [http://outsideonline.com/outside/features/200302/200302_siachen_1.html Outside magazine article about Siachen battleground]
• BBC News report: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4581615.stm Nuclear rivals in Siachen talks]; 26 May 2005
• [https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/history/siachen/290-confrontation.html Confrontation at Siachen], Bharat Rakshak. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090807102107/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/History/1984/290-Confrontation.html |date=7 August 2009}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120410054844/http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/04/07/siachen-glacier/ National Geographic article: Siachen Glacier Tragedy]

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Category:Glaciers of the Karakoram

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