The submerged ammunition is covered by a fine sediment layer (Representational)
The Swiss government is looking for innovative solutions to remove thousands of tonnes of ammunition dumped in the lakes. And it comes with a massive 50,000 franc (Rs 48.5 lakhs) prize money. The ammunition, estimated to be around 3,300 tonnes in Lake Lucerne and 4,500 tonnes in Lake Neuchatel, was disposed of by the Swiss military.
Background
Dumping munitions in lakes dates back to the Cold War era when Switzerland maintained a large militia army as part of its “armed neutrality” defence strategy. For decades, between 1918 and 1964, the Swiss military used the lakes – Neuchatel, Thun, Brienz and Lucerne – as dumping grounds for old munitions, believing it to be a safe disposal method. However, the reality is far from it. Some munitions lie at depths of 150-220 metres, while others are just six or seven metres below the surface. The risk of explosion and water and soil contamination is high, with toxic TNT potentially polluting the lake water and sediment.
Challenges
The submerged ammunition is covered by a fine sediment layer, and recovery efforts may stir up sediments, leading to oxygen loss and damage to the lake ecosystem. Previous assessments have shown that proposed recovery techniques would lead to muddy waters and high risks for the sensitive ecosystem of the lake.
The recovery operation is expected to be long and costly, with estimates suggesting it could cost billions, which is why the Swiss defence department is seeking ideas for a safe and environmental solution to retrieve the munitions, with the public invited to submit their proposals until February next year.
The competition, where the top three entries will be given prize money worth almost Rs 50 lakh, is open and anonymous, and the last date to submit entries is February 6, 2025. A panel of experts will assess the entries based on predefined criteria and announce the results in April 2025.
Retired Swiss geologist Marcos Buser suggests seeking advice from countries with experience in dealing with wartime wrecks containing unexploded weapons, such as the UK, Norway or Denmark. Mr Buser who advised the government on the issue warned of the dangers of explosion and contamination and stated the need for a careful and well-planned recovery operation, as per the BBC.
In his research paper, Mr Buser highlighted two primary concerns: the risk of explosion and water and soil contamination.
Since fuses were not removed from the munitions before dumping, the risk of explosion remains even underwater. It poses a significant threat to the environment and human safety. Water and soil contamination is another concern, as highly toxic TNT could pollute the lake water and sediment. It could have devastating effects on the ecosystem.
This is not the first time the Swiss military has faced criticism for its handling of munitions. In 1947, a massive blast in Mitholz killed nine people and destroyed the village. More recently, the military revealed that 3,500 tonnes of unexploded ammunition buried in the mountain was not safe, requiring a decade-long clean-up operation.
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