A small defence research lab is actively finding solutions on how to efficiently tap solar energy to keep soldiers’ shelters warm during winters in the Ladakh sector. The Indian army is sitting in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with the Chinese and needs warm habitations. The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research in Leh is developing solar thermal warming technology called Solar Thermal Energy Based Technology for Space Heating (Human Habitation) In High Altitude to keep the shelters warm for soldiers.

A renewable energy-powered solar thermal system has been developed by the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh to provide heat for shelters in cold, high-altitude environments, ensuring comfortable living conditions.

DIHAR said the power and heating requirements of the Ladakh region are mostly met with fossil fuel-based systems like bukhari (fire pot), Diesel Generator sets etc. The fossil fuels have to be transported to forward locations before the closure of roads from plain areas along with storage of the same.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in its new mandate, is developing solar thermal energy-based technology for heating habitation units. Temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius in Ladakh and Indian army units have to be warmed to plus 20 degrees Celsius. But Ladakh is endowed with sunshine and defence scientists are using solar energy which is then stored in thermi-fluids to provide heating at night. Special anti-freeze fluid is used to make sure the system does not freeze.

Mr Sarfraz Nazir, Scientist, Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh told NDTV, “The system has an efficiency of forty per cent and a pilot plant is being made for the Indian Army unit at Hanle.”

According to DIHAR, Ladakh is a high altitude cold arid region with temperatures recorded as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity ranges between 30 to 40 per cent. Low ambient temperature makes habitation difficult during winter periods without external heat supply. The region has scope for utilization of renewable energy particularly solar energy, for meeting power and thermal energy requirements. Ladakh has high solar irradiance which ranges between 1800 kWh/m2/year to 1900 kWh/m2/year and with an average annual sunshine duration of 7.9 hrs with 300 plus cloud-free days. 

High solar irradiance is when a high amount of solar power shines on a specific area at a given time.

Ladakh has ample scope for utilization of solar thermal energy for applications in space heating during peak winter seasons by installation of solar thermal technology for space heating using the Evacuated Tube Collector (ETC) technology.  

This solar thermal energy-based ETC technology comprises evacuated tube collectors (ETC) containing copper pipes connected in series and transferring thermal energy captured from solar radiation to fluid in contact by highly conductive copper pipes. This space heating system has been installed in an existing shelter of size 32 x 17 x 8 feet at DIHAR Leh. The average temperature inside the shelter has been recorded as 15 to 20 degrees Celsius when the minimum ambient temperature is minus 19 degrees Celsius.

The working mechanism of this technology comprises the evacuated tube collectors that convert the incident solar radiation into thermal energy through a low boiling point phase change material flowing inside a copper tube. The phase change material inside sealed glass tubes changes its phase from liquid to vapour upon receiving solar energy and comes in indirect contact with heat transfer fluid (Glycol water mixture) through copper tubes.

The phase change fluid transfers its thermal energy and changes its phase and settles down, which again on receiving thermal energy from solar irradiance rises and transfers thermal energy to heat transfer fluid. The process repeats and heats the heat transfer fluid throughout the sunny day time. The heated heat transfer fluid flows through insulated pipes and pumps and is stored in a polyurethane foam (PUF) insulated storage tank. The flow of heated fluid is auto-regulated so that its pump operates alternately every half hour throughout the day for extraction of heat from copper tubes containing phase change material (to avoid overload and breakdown). 

The heated fluid stored in the insulated tank is subsequently used to maintain the comfortable habitable temperature (15 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius) inside the shelter through a combination of insulated pipes, a pump and wall wall-mounted air fan coil unit.

Mr Nazir said “The whole system is automatically regulated with the help of sensors and related accessories to save the energy to prolong the heating effect of the stored thermal energy’.

He added that since the DIHAR plant is a pilot project it has cost about Rs 60 lakhs and is expected to last 15-20 years. It may sound expensive but once the system is installed it requires no fuel for its operation and it is based totally on renewable solar energy in less than three years it can pay back its costs.

Leh:

High altitudes, unpredictable weather and the lack of proven mechanical options have made the armed forces look at a natural alternative for patrolling and carrying equipment in the challenging terrain of Ladakh, and the two-humped camel is leading the pack.

The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) in Leh, Ladakh is training these wild camels, also known as Bactrian camels, to be obedient pack animals.

Bactrian camels are very hardy, can survive in high altitudes and are also food storehouses, with the ability to go without feeding for nearly two weeks. They have been used extensively as beasts of burden in Central Asia and can easily carry loads of over 150 kg in a cold, rarified environment.

Speaking to NDTV, Colonel Ravi Kant Sharma of the Remount Veterinary Corps in Leh, Ladakh, said double-humped camels were used to transport goods on the legendary Silk Road, but the knowledge to tame them and get them to obey has been lost in India.

Colonel Sharma who is part of DIHAR, which is part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), said, “Double-humped camels are a good option as pack animals for the operational logistics requirements of the Army, especially last-mile connectivity’.

Logistical Nightmare

Scientists from DRDO say the mountains are generally considered a logistician’s nightmare. In Ladakh, an improvement in the road infrastructure has substantially widened the transportation options, but troops still have to rely on porters and pack animals for last-mile connectivity.

They said pack animals have proven their worth in logistics, especially in the mountains, where the capabilities of drones, quadcopters and all-terrain vehicles or ATVs have not yet been proven on the required scale. At high altitudes, the use of technological options is also dependent on weather conditions, environmental factors and terrain, and support from pack animals, they said, will enhance the operational logistics efficiency.

In the Ladakh sector, Zanskar ponies have been extensively used as pack animals since the 1999 Kargil operation and, in Eastern Ladakh, initial trials on Bactrian camels for the same purpose have been successful.

The Northern Command of the Indian Army said the two-humped camel offers an innovative means for last-mile delivery of critical load and mounted patrolling in the sandy terrain of the plateau. The utilisation of camels has been generating employment for the local population and has also paved the way for enhancing conservation efforts.

Dr Om Prakash Chaurasia, Director, DIHAR, said, “Similar to the Zanskar ponies, as per requisition from the headquarters of the Army’s 14 Corps, a trial is being undertaken by us to check the feasibility of using the two-humped camels for patrolling and carrying loads. The initial trial has shown encouraging results.”

Colonel Sharma said, “Training a double-humped camel to be a soldier is very different from training them to offer joy rides to tourists. In times of war, the animal has to remain steady and obey all commands even as the machines roar around them.”

Yaks Too

Trials on the use of yaks as pack animals for extreme altitudes (above 15,000 feet) are also taking place. Yaks have three times more red blood cells than native cattle as well as larger lungs and are perfectly adapted to carrying up to 100 kilograms of load in high altitudes. Their heavy coat allows them to survive temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius and they can graze on high-altitude pastures ranging from 15,000 to 17,000 feet.

The use of these animals is also more important now because drones and robots could fail just when they are needed most if the enemy uses jammers.

New Delhi:

Delhi Police’s detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk – at the Singhu border Monday night, while his supporters and he were marching to the national capital – has led to tension in the Union Territory of Ladakh, where he is leading a fight to safeguard the local ecology.

This morning nearly two dozen protesters mounted crude blockades – including sticks mounted across upturned traffic cones – on National Highway 1, about six km from the town of Fiang.

The blockades have reportedly trapped tourists, including those from abroad. The situation in-between these blockades is understood to be tense but calm, for now. Visuals show at least protesters gathered behind a blockade, with about 100 cars and 50 trucks parked behind them.

“We are stuck on NH1 (due to protests) by supporters of the activist Sonam Wangchuk… they have placed various blockades on the highway. They are not letting anyone pass… around 200-300 people stuck,” Phillipe Geelhand, a tourist stuck on the highway, told NDTV via a phone call.

Mr Geelhand said a group of 20-30 foreign tourists, who had visited the monastery in Fiang this morning, had to walk back to Leh, which is about 15 km away, because the vehicles were not allowed to pass. The tourists also had to leave some of their bags and belongings in the cars.

“The mood is currently calm but tense. You feel that a small spark can deteriorate the situation in no time…” Mr Geelhand said, noting that commercial vehicles had been blocked too.

He said the number of vehicles stuck at the blockade point has not increased as cars and trucks were being stopped at earlier checkpoints. “Only military vehicles are allowed to cross,” he said.

“It’s quiet but tenses each time a vehicle approaches,” Mr Geelhand told NDTV.

Sonam Wangchuk Detained

More than 100 people, including Mr Wangchuk, were walking to Delhi to urge the government to resume dialogue over demands that include listing Ladakh in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides protection and autonomy to certain tribal areas that helps better manage resources.

READ | Delhi Police Detain Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk At Singhu Border

They were detained Monday night for violating prohibitory orders.

Mr Wangchuk also shared news of his detention on X, posting, “I AM BEING DETAINED… along with 150 padyatris at Delhi border by a police force of hundreds… some say 1,000. Many elderly men and women in their 80s and a few dozen Army veterans… Our fate is unknown.”

I AM BEING DETAINED…
along with 150 padyatris
at Delhi Border, by a police force of 100s some say 1,000.
Many elderly men & women in their 80s and few dozen Army veterans…
Our fate is unknown.
We were on a most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi… in the largest democracy… pic.twitter.com/iPZOJE5uuM

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) September 30, 2024

“We were on the most peaceful march to Bapu’s Samadhi (to Rajghat in Delhi to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi) in the largest democracy in the world, the mother of democracy… Hai Ram!”

His detention has been criticised by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who called it “unacceptable” and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi answer to “Ladakh’s voice”.

“Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi’s border for standing up for Ladakh’s future? Modiji, as with the farmers, this ‘chakravyuh‘ will be broken and so will your arrogance. You will have to listen to Ladakh’s voice,” he said on X.

The detention of Sonam Wangchuk ji and hundreds of Ladakhis peacefully marching for environmental and constitutional rights is unacceptable.

Why are elderly citizens being detained at Delhi’s border for standing up for Ladakh’s future?

Modi ji, like with the farmers, this…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 30, 2024

Since August 2019, when Article 370 was scrapped and former state of Jammu and Kashmir was split into two union territories, one of which is the UT of Ladakh, Mr Wangchuk has been demanding concrete steps be taken to safeguard the local environment.

He has also been campaigning for statehood for Ladakh.

READ | Why Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk Is On Foot March Mission

He staged a five-day ‘climate fast’ at the Himalayan Institute of Alternative Ladakh in Leh from January 26, which ended with a public rally at the city’s Polo Ground on January 31.

Hundreds of locals joined Mr Wangchuk – a Ramon Magsaysay award winner – who followed that with a a 21-day fast in March – days before the Lok Sabha election.

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Leh:

With the Ladakh administration imposing prohibitory orders banning rallies on Sunday and a 24-hour reduction in internet speed, the Leh-based Apex Body said it has no intention of violating laws and hoped it will be allowed to carry out its proposed ‘border march’.

The Apex Body, along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), is spearheading the agitation to demand statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.

The Apex Body announced the ‘border (Pashmina) march’ to Changthang to highlight the condition of grazers, who are allegedly losing prime pasture land to huge industrial plants to the south and Chinese encroachments to the north.

In an apparent move aimed at countering the march, the District Magistrate (DM) of Leh Santosh Sukhadeve on Friday ordered the imposition of CrPC section 144 on April 7 and directed that no procession, rally or march should be taken without his prior approval.

He said the Leh senior superintendent of police has reported that there were reliable inputs indicating a possible breach of peace and public tranquillity in the district.

“No one shall use the vehicle-mounted or other loudspeakers without prior approval from the competent authority. No public gathering without prior approval of the competent authority shall be allowed. No one shall make any statements which have the potential to disturb communal harmony and public tranquillity and which may lead to law-and-order problems in the district,” the DM’s order said.

“All persons shall ensure that they follow the Model Code of Conduct and that all the activities are according to the law,” it added.

In a separate order, Additional Director General of Police of Ladakh S D Singh Jamwal ordered the scaling down of internet speed and mobile data services of 3G, 4G and 5G connections and public 5G Wi-Fi facilities to 2G within a 10-kilometre radius of Leh city from 6 pm on April 6 for 24 hours.

The DM of Leh, in another order, prohibited the posting or sharing such messages that have the potential to disturb communal harmony, peace and tranquillity and may lead to a law-and-order situation in the district.

“It shall be the responsibility of the admins of WhatsApp groups or social media platforms to monitor and filter such content immediately,” the order read.

The Leh Apex Body (LAB) termed the restrictions ahead of its proposed border march an “overreaction” by the administration and said it has no intention of violating the law.

“We have been holding a chain hunger strike for the past 31 days and we feel such a reaction is the result of some misunderstanding,” climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, flanked by LAB leader Chering Dorjay, told reporters here.

Wangchuk, who held a hunger strike for 21 days till March 26, said they strongly believe in peace and peaceful ways to highlight their demands, including those connected with the prevailing condition of the Pashmina grazers.

“If they stop us from marching ahead, it shows the government has something to hide and they do not want the real picture to reach the outside world… we are hopeful that the administration will allow our peaceful march if they have nothing to hide,” he said.

Wangchuk added that a meeting of stakeholders will be held to decide the future course of action within the next couple of days.

Dorjay said they will go ahead with the march and it will be peaceful.

Wangchuk also alleged that the police administration was calling volunteers to the local police stations and threatening them.

“Our request is not to spread unrest in the name of peace. This is a very sensitive region and we always cared for the country,” he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Indian Army has established the world’s first mobile tower and base transceiver station (BTS) on the Siachen Glacier, the highest battlefield on Earth, with the help of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The tower was inaugurated on October 6 and will provide mobile communication services to soldiers at an altitude of over 15,500 feet.

A base transceiver station is a radio transceiver that connects mobile devices to a cellular network. It sends and receives radio signals to mobile devices and converts them to digital signals that are then routed to other devices in the network or to the Internet.

“Siachen Warriors, in collaboration with BSNL, established the first ever BSNL BTS at forward posts of the highest battlefield on October 6 to extend mobile communication for the soldiers deployed at more than 15,500 feet,” the Fire and Fury Corps of the Indian Army posted on X (formerly Twitter).

#IndianArmy#Siachen Warriors in collaboration with BSNL established first ever BSNL BTS at forward posts of the highest battlefield on 06 October to extend mobile communication for the soldiers deployed at more than 15,500 feet#SiachenWarriors@NorthernComd_IA@lg_ladakh… pic.twitter.com/54D8HrXWQe

— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) October 12, 2023

Meanwhile, the District Magistrate of Leh, Santosh Sukhadeve, has thanked the Indian Army for their quick response in erecting a fence and clearing an area of over 175 mines.

“On behalf of Phobrang, Yourgo, and Lukung villagers, we thank the Fire and Fury Corps for their swift action in fencing and clearing the area by successfully destroying over 175 mines,” he posted on X.

On behalf of Phobrang, Yourgo, and Lukung villagers, we thank the Fire and Fury Corps @firefurycorps@adgpi for their swift action in fencing and clearing the area by successfully destroying over 175 mines.@lg_ladakh@LAHDC_LEHpic.twitter.com/UtFyV2YpB1

— Santosh Sukhadeve (@santoshsukhdeve) October 12, 2023

Siachen Glacier is known as the highest-altitude battle site in the world and is situated near the Indo-Pak Line of Control. It is the largest glacier in India and the second-largest in the world. It is the highest battleground on earth.

The establishment of a mobile tower on the Siachen Glacier is a significant achievement, given the harsh conditions and the ongoing conflict in the region. The tower will provide soldiers with a much-needed lifeline to their families and loved ones, and it will also improve their ability to communicate with each other and with their commanders.

(With inputs from agencies)