The current eye-to-eye confrontation between China and India is at the Pangong Tso site. The countries have ramped up their troops in the region since May.
Highlights
- India recently set up twin commands headquartered at Chandigarh and Guwahati and has deployed 90,000 troops.
- The troop personnel are all well trained mountaineers.
- The issue began in the patrolling of Indian troops in the border.
- This is an on and off issue where one country crosses the border while patrolling.
- This happens as the border dispute is unsolved and certain border areas are not yet demarcated.
What is the issue?
- The disputed area between India and China mostly passes in the land.
- However, the Pangong Tso lake is unique where the disputed border passes through the water.
- The lake does not have major tactical significance.
- However, the lake lies in the path of Chushul approach.
- It is the approach that China uses to offend territories held by India.
What are the Fingers of the Lake?
- The barren mountain called Chang Chenmo has palm like formations called ‘fingers’.
- India claims that LAC (Line of Actual Control) starts from Finger 8.
- On the hand, China claims that it starts from Line 2.
- India physically controls up to Finger 4.
About the lake
- The Pangong Tso lake is a long deep narrow lake that is situated at a height of 4,350 metres in the Ladakh region.
- The lake is 134 km long and 5 km broad. It is a brackish water lake.
- It freezes in winter and is ideal for polo and ice skating.
- It is not a part of the Indus river basin.
- Also, it is not a Ramsar site yet.
- However, the process to identify it under Ramsar Convention is on.
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