DRDO sets up world’s highest research station in Ladakh

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has established the world’s highest research station in Ladakh.

Situated at an altitude of 17,500 feet at Chang La, about 80 km east of Leh, the research station will be used to develop and validate cold weather technologies.

The earlier record for being the highest research station was held by Pyramid Laboratory which is situated at an altitude of 16,500 feet at the base of the Everest in Nepal.

The building of the research station at Chang La, where temperatures can fall as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius, is complete. It is expected to be formally inaugurated soon.

The foundation stone for the station was laid in 2010 and it will function under the Leh-based Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR) that is engaed in high-altitude agro-animal research.

DRDO scientists said that the station would be used for extreme altitude bio-medical research, material research, agro-animal research and green house technology and conservation of endangered species of plants.

Besides DIHAR projects, the station will serve to evaluate and validate high-altitude technologies like mountaineering equipment and structures, clothes, protective equipment, food, health supplements and fuel developed by other DRDO labs.

The facility can also be used by other research and development organisations in the country and there is a proposal to open the station for foreign researchers to conduct their own experiments relating to high-altitude physiology and materials.

The station will be able to accommodate up to 10 scientists along with a support staff of 10 and has fully equipped state-of-the-art laboratories. Solar power will be the primary source of energy with back-up by diesel generators.