Over the years, acclimatisation and access to electricity to power tents at higher altitudes have been critical priorities for the Indian Armed Forces, especially in the Northern borders. The lack of access to electricity for years has forced them to turn to other heating solutions like burning diesel, kerosene or firewood. The over-reliance on tents and heating solutions through diesel or firewood has become a major logistics issue for the security establishment, which is now finding new ways to keep the Armed Forces warm and healthy at the higher altitudes.
To their assistance, Sonam Wangchuk – the innovator and engineer, has found yet another brilliant solution to the heating problems at such high altitude areas. After successfully experimenting with solar heated mud hut, Sonam Wangchuk has now come up with another solution that not only does not emit pollution but also provides efficient and warm accommodation to the security personnel deployed at greater heights such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir and North-East region.
Taking to Twitter, Sonam Wangchuk, who was an inspiration for the character played by Aamir Khan in the movie Three Idiots, showcased his latest product ‘Solar Heated Military tent’ that are specifically designed for Indian Army personnel deployed at higher altitudes including areas such as Galwan Valley and Siachen Glacier.
SOLAR HEATED MILITARY TENT
— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) February 19, 2021
for #indianarmy at #galwanvalley
+15 C at 10pm now.
Min outside last night was -14 C,
Replaces tons of kerosesne, pollution #climatechange
For 10 jawans, fully portable all parts weigh less than 30 Kgs. #MadeInIndia #MadeInLadakh #CarbonNeutral pic.twitter.com/iaGGIG5LG3
Sharing the images of the newly built tents, Sonam Wangchuk said that the tents can keep the temperature steady at around 15 degree celsius even at low temperatures upto -14 degree C. The engineer-turned-innovator said that the new tents will replace tons of polluting kerosene used for heating up older tents in the forward areas along the borders.
In his tweet, Sonam Wangchuk said that one such solar-powered tent can accommodate 10 security personnel and it is fully portable that weighs less than 30 kilograms.
The new eco-friendly solution developed by Sonam Wangchuk is aligned with PM Modi’s vision for Atma Nirbhar Bharat. The new solar-powered tents are extremely efficient and is a perfect solution to address the accommodation issues in such harsh conditions.
It is heartening to see the country’s brilliant minds such as Sonam Wangchuk contributing to Prime Minister Modi’s vision for being a self-reliant country. In fact, the solar-powered tents are not the first such ‘clean energy’ initiatives of Wangchuk. Earlier, he had conceptualised the concept of Ice Stupas – a glacier grafting technique that creates artificial glaciers to store water in winters, to be used in summer.
Recently, he had also designed a pre-fabricated solar heated mud hut for the usage of the Indian Armed Forces at high altitudes. However, his most significant contribution to Ladakh has been the establishment of the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an institution that has revolutionised the education system in the region.
