Quake disrupts Army winter stock-up plans

KOLKATA: While there is no reason to panic about an immediate threat to the defence of North Sikkim in the wake of the devastating earthquake, senior Army officers say that formations and units in far-flung areas would find it difficult to carry out their stock-up for the winter.
And in the long run, rebuilding infrastructure like damaged road bridges would be a challenge.
"Threat to defence is a relative term. It is one thing if there is a war tomorrow. It is another thing if there is a war five years from now," explained an official. Brigade-level formations, which are at the risk of being cut off, can in any case sustain themselves for some time. Such isolations occur routinely in the Himalayas, on the China border. The brigade based in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, for instance, is cut off from the division headquarters in Tenga during monsoon because of landslides and in winter because of snow. Even units and formations in North Sikkim remain cut off in winter because of snow. There are smaller posts in Arunachal which are still maintained throughout the year by air.
But in view of these weather problems, food, fuel, medicines, clothing and ammunition are meticulously stocked built twice a year (monsoon and winter). "If we need stocks for three months, we pack for six months," said the officer. "Usually, in predictable weather problems, the stocks are build in advance. But, since the earthquake has come suddenly, winter stocking will become a problem." Supply of water also becomes a problem in some places.
Luckily, however, the vital "Finger" area in north Sikkim, which runs the risk of being cut off, does not have the same strategic value as the border in east Sikkim. Its main significance is it is one of the few flat and tankable grounds on the entire China border, says officials. Communication on the Gangtok-Nathu La Road in East Sikkim has also been affected because of landslides, but there is an alternative approach to Nathu La via Kuppup.
Landslides are common in both Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, but the damage caused by landslides triggered by monsoon are usually confined to limited areas and easier to manage while the earthquake has led to an extensive damage and the resources of the army and the Border Roads Organization would have to be spread out this time.
Army officers visualize three kinds of problems. Immediate: personnel going on leave or returning to their units would find it difficult to travel. Medium-term: stocking of ration. Long term: rebuilding the road network.
Some bridges, once washed out are difficult to replace, and for years the traffic has to follow diversions. A road building programme in north Sikkim may also suffer because of the earthquake, particularly connectivity to Lachen and the Lachung valleys. There is even a plan to construct a tunnel under the mountain that divides the two valleys and build a road through it.