Indian Army troops deployed in high altitude areas are suitably equipped with modern gadgets to include avalanche victim detectors, trackers, and Ricoh reflectors informed the Ministry of Defence on Friday. Apart from this, weather conditions in snowbound areas of Jammu and Kashmir are closely monitored by Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) stations at Sasoma and Srinagar.

As per the ministry, due cognizance is taken of weather warnings and the same is communicated to troops in real-time. Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE) established under the aegis of DRDO has a well-established mechanism to provide advance warning of avalanches in mountain regions to all concerned including BRO. The establishment has a series of observatories and automated weather stations in the mountain regions which are operational in avalanche-prone areas. DGRE has established 39 observatories in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Sikkim, and an additional 10 are being established.

Routine meteorology data collected at these observatories is collated at DGRE, Chandigarh, and based on this an avalanche warning bulletin is subsequently forwarded to all concerned in nearby areas in real-time. Avalanche warnings issued by DGRE assist troops in operational planning and safeguarding against impending avalanches.

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