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Last fortnight, India's much-maligned Defence Research and Development Organisation handed over integrated thermally regulated shelters to provide protection to the soldiers against extreme climatic condition of the Himalayan regions.
It is not a weapon, but given the lethal weather conditions in the high altitude area where nature is bigger adversary, soldiers and officers alike have welcomed the induction of these shelters in Ladakh region.
According to DRDO, these shelters are equipped with integrated temperature regulators, bio-digestors and air-monitoring systems. Modular in design, the shelter has all the facilities like electrical, plumbing, water supply and sewage disposal. Kerosene gensets and solar power are well integrated within the shelter. They have been designed to withstand seismic activities up to a level of zone 5, wind velocities up to 55 m/sec and sub zero temperatures up to minus 35 degree Celsius.
The carbon dioxide level inside the shelter is closely monitored and maintained within safe limits.
Given the operational needs of the Indian Army, where it is forced to deploy men to work at altitudes of 9000 to 20000 feet in the Eastern and Western Himalayas, it was imperative to find suitable shelters for soldiers since rarefied atmosphere with low oxygen availability can affect both their physical as well as mental performance.
Apart from the shelters, DRDO has developed and implemented several new initiatives designed to make life easier for the Indian soldier stationed in high altitude areas.
According to DRDO scientists, an Indian soldier is genetically adapted and trained to work at temperatures ranging from 55 to 35 degree centigrade prevalent at sea level in most regions of the country. But when he is posted to high altitude areas, the soldier has to adapt to subzero temperatures and low oxygen levels leading to psychological and physical stress.
Their deployment in high altitude zone causes a variety of health related problems like acute mountain sickness, high altitude pulmonary oedema and high altitude cerebral oedema. Although acute mountain sickness symptoms like headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, disturbed sleep, lack of appetite etc are transitory and self-healing, at times it may require hospitalisation. The high altitude oedemas can be dangerous and require immediate evacuation to lower altitudes. These problems can be mitigated when induction is done gradually by road rather than swift induction by air.
The DRDO has therefore developed a three-stage acclimatization schedule developed to minimise these ill-effects to a large extent.
DRDO has mandated a five-day resting period for these troops before they could be deployed for any other active operation. At times, soldiers have to be deployed at short notice for mountain warfare with minimum acclimatisation; to facilitate this DRDO has developed a Composite Indian Herbal Preparation and low dose glucocorticoid therapy to meet such an eventuality.
Acute mountain sickness, an incapacitating malady that one suffers on immediate arrival at high altitudes, could be prevented to a large extent by pre-administration of CIHP or glucocorticoids at sub-therapeutic doses. During the India-China conflict in 1962, high altitude pulmonary oedema and cold related ailments took a very heavy toll on troops rapidly inducted into an high altitude theatre of war.
To circumvent this problem, DRDO has developed a life support system in the form of a portable hyperbaric user-friendly bag called HAPO bag. The HAPO bag could reduce this adverse impact to a great extent and also provide ample time for evacuation of troops to safer heights. Another solution developed is a nitric oxide delivery system which administers NO2 and oxygen to HAPO patients. It has saved the lives of more than 300 soldiers till date.
New treatments have been developed for protecting soldiers from cold injuries which, if left untreated, may lead to amputation. A combination treatment of pentoxyphylline, aspirin and vitamin C (an antioxidant) with topical application of a newly developed aloe-vera cream named 'Alocal' has proved to be the highly effective.
Low oxygen availability at high altitude causes a marked decline in appetite, which in turn may cause weight loss, especially at extreme altitudes (above 15,000 ft). DRDO has developed appetisers using traditional condiments which have become popular. Several innovative state-of-the-art food processing technologies have been introduced, many technologies like self-heating pouches have been designed to suit Indian food habits, terrain, climatic conditions as well as daily physical activities of our troops.
Special yoga packages have also been developed to optimise physical and mental performance of soldiers. Special nutritional packages have been designed by DRDO to provide higher energy of 3500-5000 calories per day for the soldiers. Efforts are also underway to develop nutraceuticals from local herbs of these regions as antidotes to hypoxia-related problems, DRDO scientists said.