Details

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 01 April 2015

 

UDHAMPUR: A crisis loomed large over the far flung Zanskar valley in the lap of high mountains in the Kargil district of Ladakh region of J&K, due to a massive landslide that had occurred at 13,000 feet altitude, over a major distributary of Zanskar river, located 100 km east of Padam in January this year. The landslide caused complete blockage of water in the river, resulting in accumulation of more than 30 million cubic meters of water and forming a 15 km long lake, along the river. It was feared that a sudden bursting of the landslide would cause unimaginable catastrophe, due to flooding in Zanskar river, leading to submersion of villages, loss of livelihood and damage to life and property.

 

The matter was immediately brought to the notice of the Central Government by the   J & K State Government, to seek assistance. Consequently, the National Crisis Management Committee declared the situation to be a ‘national crisis’ in first week of February and constituted an expert committee under the aegis of NDMA, to carry out technical assessment of the situation and prepare an action plan for execution, to avert any crisis.

 

After aerial and ground reconnaissance of the landslide, coordinated by the Army from Leh, a decision was taken to carry out controlled blasting and create a breach in the landslide, so as to facilitate flow of water through it, thereby mitigating the threat of flooding and sudden breach.

 

Given the urgency, risk involved and need for assured success, the Indian Army was called upon to take the lead and coordinate activities for execution of the plan, for creating the breach. A Composite Task Force comprising specially selected and trained personnel from the Army, Air Force, NDMA and state/ local administration was formed to execute the task. The Fire and Fury Corps of the Army was given the overall charge of this joint operation.  The whole operation was codenamed as “OP PHUKTAL”

 

The area being cut off during winter months, the entire operation had to be maintained by air. 500 sorties of Army and Air Force helicopters ferried 38 tons of load over more than 300 hours, under extremely hazardous and demanding flying conditions, in support of the operation. A camp of area 10m x15m was established on a ledge on the rock face near the Landslide site. On establishment of the camp, the composite task force immediately swung into action. Relentlessly working long hours, day in and day out, in temperatures lower than minus 25 degree  with high wind chill, unmindful of the risk to life, a 75m long channel, 2m deep and 2m wide was created by controlled blasting, using 175kg of explosive, over five days. An artificial channel was created through the landslide area that facilitated flow of water to the downstream side. Water finally started gushing across the landslide in an uninterrupted manner from the lake formed. The flow is currently being closely monitored.

 

The successful completion of this operation is a testimony to the synergised efforts of the joint task force of Army, AF and NDMA in conjunction with the civil administration. Due to the joint efforts of the Army, Air Force, NDMA and the civil administration, a major calamity has been averted.