Uttarakhand: ITBP troops rescue 4 villagers trapped at 12,000 feet for 7 hours

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops went above and beyond their assigned standards to safeguard the India-China border. They rescued four villagers trapped at 12,000 feet for nearly seven hours owing to a mountain river overflow. The villagers were rescued by the ITBP's 14th Battalion personnel at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 1. Milam village's three men and one woman were among those rescued.

ITBP Indo Tibetan troops rescue 4 villagers trapped at 12,000 feet for about 7 hours

"ITBP personnel rescued four locals near Milam, Uttarakhand from an altitude of 12,000 feet. These people were stranded across a mountain river for hours," said the ITBP in a statement. ITBP put up the information on Twitter, "ITBP personnel of 14th Battalion rescued 4 locals near Milam, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand from an altitude of 12,000 feet. These people were stranded across a mountain river for hours." The locals had gone to collect some herbs and were caught on the mountain due to the river's overflow, according to ITBP Spokesperson Vivek Pandey. According to the officer, ITBP personnel stationed at an adjacent post used a rope to rescue the villagers. "The villagers were trapped for over seven hours," he claimed while speaking to ANI. More information is awaited on the incident and rescue. 

Indo China Border tension

Meanwhile, tension has lessened on the Indo China border.  After extensive talks, India and China have retreated from the banks of Pangong Lake, leaving the Gogra Heights and Hot Springs areas to be settled, as these friction sites were formed following Chinese aggression last year. In June 2020, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in brutal confrontations with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley. After prolonged military and political talks, India and China disengaged from the most contested Pangong lake area last month, ending a military standoff that had lasted over a year.

Outgoing Director-General of the ITBP's statement on border tensions

While referring to the safety of the borders, the outgoing Director-General of the ITBP, which primarily guards the 3,488 km long India-China border ranging from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh, stated that the Force is well-trained and always prepared to defend our international border in all situations. In an interview with ANI, SS Deswal, who retired as the ITBP DG on August 31, stated that whether there is an agreement or not, they are guided by the needs on the border. He said, “We respect our bilateral agreements. We respect our international conventions and the conduct which should be there between the two countries. We have never violated our bilateral agreements, our promises to our neighbours. We have always respected our neighbours. But we are always prepared to defend our border in all situations”. In response to a query about if there is a policy of no use of weapons on the Indo-China border and what India will do if the Chinese attack the Indian side, Deswal replied that India will continue to follow bilateral agreements as long as they are respected. They are prepared for any situation that may arise.

With inputs from ANI

(IMAGE: ITBP OFFICIAL TWITTER)