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Daulat Beg Oldi

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This article is about camp site. For MMORPG, see Dragon Ball Online.
This article is about Daulat Beg Oldi. For DBO(drinking ban order), see Drinking band order.
Daulat Beg Oldi
Daulat Beg Oldi
city
Map
Daulat Beg Oldie is near top of Indian border.

Daulat Beg Oldi (also spelled Oldie, DBO), Ladakh, state of Jammu & Kashmir in India is a camp site located on an ancient trade route connecting Ladakh, India to Yarkand in Xinjiang, China. Chip chap river valley lies to its east.

Location and Physical Conditions

Daulat Beg Oldi lies at the easternmost point of the Karakorum Range in a cold desert region in the far north of India, just 8 km south the Chinese border and 9 km northwest of the Aksai Chin line of actual control between China and India. The nearest inhabited town is Murgo to the south, which has a small population of Baltis who primarily depend on apricot farming and yak rearing.

The government in 2001 first announced plans to construct a motorable road from Leh to its end at Daulat Beg Oldi.

Temperature plummets as low as -30 C in the winters. The weather deteriorates frequently with strong icy winds lashing much of DBO. DBO has very little if any vegetation or wildlife. Communication is possible only through INMARSAT (satellite) phones.

History

The place is named after Daulat Baig Oldi, a 16th century Yarkandi nobleman who is supposed to have died at this place after descent from the Karakorum Pass, which is 17 kilometers northwest on the Indo-Chinese border. This route was used by caravans of traders traveling between India and Central Asia. It used to be a stopping point for the caravans traveling along the Silk Road. India and China sealed their borders after the war of 1962 ending most of the cross-border trade. In modern times, the place has not been known to have any permanent civilian population.[1]

Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground

Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorIndian Airforce
LocationLadakh, India
Map

There is an Indian Airforce airbase present in Daulat Beg Oldi. Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground is an airfield of the Indian Airforce near the Line of Actual Control between Indian and China, in the Ladakh region of India.

The Indian Army maintains a helipad and an air strip here, one of the highest in the world. Routine sorties are carried out using An-32 aircraft. The base has an unpaved airstrip and helipad which will enable the airforce to provide relief and supplies to the troops stationed in the region. [2]

The Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Ground is situated about 8 km to the south of the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The airstrip is located at 16200 feet (4960 metres) above sea level and is the highest air strip in the world.[2]

History

The base was set up during the Sino-Indian conflict in 1962. It was operated with American-supplied Fairchild Packets between 1962 and 1965. It had to be closed down suddenly in 1966 when an earthquake caused loosening of the surface soil, making the area unsuitable for fixed wing aircraft.[3]

On 31 May 2008, the Indian Air Force made the airbase operational when a AN-32 of the IAF landed at the airbase.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Himalayas - Ladakh Himalayas - Villages and Plateus - Shyok Valley". Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  2. ^ a b "IAF Aircraft lands at the highest Airstrip in the world". 31 May 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  3. ^ "IAF reopens old airbase in Ladakh region". 31 May 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
  4. ^ "IAF reopens old air base near China border". 31 May 2008. Retrieved 31 May 2008.
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