A HISTORIC AND SIGNIFICANT LAND : KARGIL

One of the momentous land as a part of Ladakh. Kargil is the largest district that came into interest due to the conflict between India and Pakistan in 1999.

It is situated nearly distance from Srinagar,leh, padum Zanskar, and Skardu Baltistan. it has always been a major route for trading and meeting point for traders of china, central Asia. It is declared as a  tourist place for various people from different parts of Ladakh and even for trekkers, mountaineers. Also, this place get into the eyes of the media due to the conflict of India and Pakistan since then Tiger hill, Tololing, Mushku valley became famous from the world perspective. Kargil has a treasure of historical background and heritage sites like mosques, monasteries, forts palaces, rocks carvings, paintings, and war memorials are over the place.

view of the town of Kargil

Topography:

In administration, Kargil is divided into 12 diabetes and further subdivisions. The administrative structure of Kargil has changed since the establishment of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, as contrasted to other districts in the state. In the year 2003, Kargil established a Hill Council. There are 26 Council Constituencies in the district. In December 2004, the government announced the appointment of four nominated councilors. As a result, the Council has 30 members/councilors, with 26 being elected and four being nominated. The administrative head is Deputy Commissioner Kargil, who is also the Hill Council’s Chief Executive Officer. He is in charge of the administrative machinery as well as law and order.

Geographically it is surrounded by Srinagar, Doda district, Leh, Himachal Pradesh, and Pakistan in southwest, east, south, and northwest respectively. There are also natural valleys like suru, drass, Indus, Sindh valleys. Also, Zoila and Cotulla are above sea level called a gateway for entry in Kargil district while the sky-high pillars of the district are Namikala and penile. The whole area is covered with mountains, arid and desert regions with less to no vegetation. due to this topography agriculture is limited to major production of the wheat crop only.

     war zone for kargil war

Climate conditions:

Ladakh is located on the Himalayan rain shadow side, where dry monsoon winds reach Kargil after being stripped of moisture in the plains and Himalayan mountains. The climate in the district is a mix of arctic and desert conditions. As a result, Ladakh is known as the “COLD DESERT.” The amount of rain that falls in this location is insignificant. In the winter, there is a lot of snow. In communities, the average snowfall is between 2 and 5 meters. In the winter, the temperature in Drass (Kargil), the world’s second coldest inhabited place after Siberia, drops to minus 48 degrees Celsius. The following are typical characteristics of the climate:

• Temperatures vary greatly during the day and season, ranging from -48°C in the winter to +35°C in the summer.
• The average annual precipitation is only 10 cm, mostly in the form of snow.
• The soil is thin, sand-filled, and permeable.
• The entire area is either partially or completely devoid of natural flora.
• The glacier-melted snow provides the majority of the irrigation.

The District’s climate is milder than that of Ladakh (Leh). The communities along the banks of the Indus River, as well as the Sangham of the Suru and Drass rivers, are quite warm and pleasant. The snowfall is rather heavy, and the rainfall is regular, but neither of these factors helps to irrigate the crops. In a nutshell, the District’s winter season is bitterly cold, and temperatures frequently plummet, whereas the summer 

himalayan landscape of kargil

The season is dry and mild. The District’s soil is sandy to loamy in texture, poor in organic matter, with low phosphorus and potash availability, and is interspersed with stones and gravels. It has a shallow formation, is weak and friable, and is prone to erosion. The soil fertility varies from location to place, and the growing season is brief. Kargil receives about 26 cm of rain on average. At Drass and nearby, the region has some chrome deposits. Lungnak valley, Zanskar, and Tai-Suru all have copper deposits. There are other deposits of limestone, marble, and building materials. These mineral resources, however, have yet to be tapped. Moreover, this district remain detached from the rest world in the winter season but is open throughout the rest. one can visit Kargil through airlines or by road. 

memorial of martyrs died in Kargil war

Kargil war : 

This war is fought between India and Pakistan in 1999 due to the armed conflict between May to July in the whole district along with the line of control (LOC). this conflict is named Operation Vijay to the Indian military group to clear out the sector. All the forces have joined to regular or irregular troops of Pakistan, even a code name is provided to the army called operation saved sugar. Many awards are awarded to our soldiers as India has won this Kargil war. Pakistan is heavily criticized for initiating the war. As many casualties happened, Kargil War Memorial is made to pay tribute to the brave martyrs.  Also, a giant national flag was hoisted at the Kargil war memorial on Kargil Vijay diwas, which is celebrate victory every year.