Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 9: With entire Changthang area remaining cut off from rest of the district during the past four days due to massive snowfall and threat of starvation will start looming large over the human population within next some days, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) today approached the Army for aerial survey of the entire belt bordering China.
“Since February 6-7, 2013 when massive snowfall lashed the area, there is no connectivity of entire Changthang belt with rest of the district and unaccounted number of cattle heads have lost lives due to non-availability of fodder”, Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Leh, Rigzin Spalbar told Excelsior.
“Entire pasture land, which is the only source for the nomads to feed their cattle heads , is covered with the snow and everyday cattle heads are dying but in the absence of any connectivity with the region, we are unable to work out the number of perished cattle heads till date”, he said while disclosing that in the snowfall experienced in last few days of January over 6000 sheep and goats got perished.
“The exact loss of cattle heads would be worked out only after the restoration of road link of entire Changthang area with the rest of the district”, Mr Spalbar said, adding “the situation would become alarming if sufficient quantity of fodder is not made available within shortest possible time. The possibility of people facing shortage of food grains in Changthang belt cannot be ruled out”.
Mr Spalbar, who approached Chief of Staff of 14 Corps, Major Gen Kulkarni today and sought Army’s help in reaching out the cut off population, said, “Army has agreed to carry out aerial survey of the Changthang belt on Monday. He has also passed instructions to Army installations in entire Changthang area to immediately provide all sorts of help to the trapped population and their livestock”.
“The aerial survey is imperative as there is no Army installation in several villages like Hanley, Samad, Kharnak and Rupshu and we don’t know the fate of human and livestock population in these areas”, the Chief Executive Councillor said.
In response to a question, Mr Spalbar said that such a massive snowfall was experienced in Changthang belt after eight years. In the year 2004 massive snowfall had caused immense loss of livestock following which Union Government provided Rs 3 crore assistance to provide fodder to the snowfall affected populace.
Mr Spalbar is also going to brought the situation to the notice of Minister for Urban Development, Nawang Rigzin Jora and Minister for Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather on Monday.
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