Pros & Cons Of Opening Siachen To Tourism tribuneindia.com

Though tourism in the Siachen glacier looks encouraging, there are many negatives that need to be addressed. Tourism will see a surge in the dumping of waste. This will hasten glacier retreat. Due to the presence of the Army, a lot of non-biodegradable waste is already present there and every day, about 1,000 kg is being added.
Immediately after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir was announced on August 5, Gen Bipin Rawat put forth the proposal that he was not averse to the idea of the Siachen area being opened to tourists. While I feel that it is not a bad idea, it did trigger some seismic, contentious opinions and debates.

First, let me dilate on various aspects pertaining to the Siachen glacier and why it becomes a focal point for triggering the interests of tourists. In Balti, ‘Sia’ means roses and ‘Chun’ means in abundance (though no roses are seen). Siachen is sandwiched between the Saltoro ridge on the west and the Karakoram ranges on the east. Temperatures go up to minus 70°C and peaks on the ranges are up to 25,000 feet. It is also called the ‘Third Pole’ and is the highest battlefield in the world. It is the second-longest glacier in the non-polar region in the world. It is approximately 76 km in length, though the glacier retreat is about 110 m per year. The Nubra river from the glacier drains into the Shyok River, which ultimately becomes the Indus river.