Pangong Tso
GS PAPER I: Indian & World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India & the World.
Context: Pangong Tso becomes ‘no-man’s land’ for cattle gazers of Chushul.
More about news:
- The areas around the foothills of Helmet Top, Black Top and Gurung Hill were accessible to the grazers but out of bound this time.
- The south bank of Pangong Tso — one of the two locations from where Indian and Chinese troops disengaged in February has become a “no-man’s land” for the local cattle grazers of Chushul in eastern Ladakh.
Issue raised by cattle grazers:
- There are around 180 households here and out of them around 60 depend on livestock for a living. The animals needs to be taken to these locations for winter grazing as this is also the breeding season. If they do not get good quality fodder, the livestock could die.
Government stand:
- Non-delineation of LAC (Line of Actual Control) on ground leads to incorrect interpretation of alignment by civilians, which may result in own grazers inadvertently crossing over to the Chinese side.
- This area is not frequented by the Chinese grazers much, the army should not set a precedent by not allowing the Indian grazers at these locations. This might become a permanent arrangement, much to india’s disadvantage.
Pangong Tso
- Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation.
- Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet, 40% in Ladakh and the rest is disputed but controlled by China.
- During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water.
- It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.
- The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance.
- This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the convention.
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