Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake (Tibetan: སྤང་གོང་མཚོ;[3]Chinese:班公错; pinyin:Bān gōng cuò; Hindi: पैंगोंग झील) is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225m (13,862ft). It is 134km (83mi) long and divided into five sublakes, called Pangong Tso, Tso Nyak, Rum Tso (twin lakes) and Nyak Tso. Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet in China, 40% in Ladakh, India and the remaining 10% is disputed and is a de-facto buffer zone between India and China. The lake is 5km (3.1mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers almost 700km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.[4]
Historically, the lake is viewed as being made up five sublakes, which are connected through narrow water channels. The name Pangong Tso only applied to the westernmost lake that is mostly in Ladakh. The main lake on the Tibetan side is called Tso Nyak (the "middle lake"). It is followed by two small lakes called Rum Tso. The last lake near Rutog is called Nyak Tso again.[5][6] The whole lake group was and is still often referred to as Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo (Tibetan: མཚོ་མོ་ངང་ལྷ་རིང་པོ[3]) in Tibetan.
There are different interpretations on the meanings of both Pangong Tso and Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo. The Ladakh government website indicates "Pangong Tso" is Tibetan meaning "high grassland lake",[7] however travel books from decades back say Pangong means "hollow".[8][9]Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo is Tibetan that is interpreted to mean various different but similar meanings -- "long, narrow, enchanted lake" by Chinese media sources,[10] "female narrow very long lake" by early European explorers,[11] and "long-necked swan lake" by other modern sources.[12]
Geography
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Sino-Indian border dispute
Main article: Sino-Indian border dispute
[Interactive fullscreen map]
Contested LAC near the Pangong Lake[13][lower-alpha 1] with "fingers" – mountain spurs jutting into the lake[14]
Pangong Tso is in disputed territory. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) passes through the lake. A section of the lake approximately 20km east from the LAC is controlled by China but claimed by India. The eastern end of the lake is in Tibet. After the mid-19th century, Pangong Tso was at the southern end of Johnson Line, an early attempt at demarcation between India and China in the Aksai Chin region.
The Khurnak Fort lies on the northern bank of the lake, about halfway of Pangong Tso. The Chinese has controlled the Khurnak Fort area since 1958.[15] To the south is the smaller Spanggur Tso lake.
On 20 October 1962, Pangong Tso saw military action during the Sino-Indian War, successful for the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).[16] The area remains a sensitive border point along the LAC.[17][18] Incursions from the Chinese side are common.[19]
In August 2017, Indian and Chinese forces near Pangong Tso engaged in melee involving kicking, punching, rock throwing, and usage of makeshift weapons such as sticks and rods.[20][21][22]
On 11 September 2019, PLA troops confronted Indian troops on the northern bank.[23][24]
On 5–6 May 2020, a face-off between about 250 Indian and Chinese troops near the lake resulted in casualties on both sides.[25][21][26][27]
On 29–30 August 2020, Indian troops occupied many heights on the south bank of Pangong Tso. The heights mentioned include Rezang La, Reqin La, Black Top, Hanan, Helmet, Gurung Hill, Gorkha Hill and Magar Hill.[28] Some of these heights are in the grey zone of the LAC and overlook Chinese camps.[29]
India chose to pull back from these positions as leverage for larger disengagement.[30]
China is constructing a bridge across the lake.[31][32]
Both the Chinese and Indian militaries have vessels stationed on the lake.[33][34][35]
Tourism
On the Indian side, an Inner Line Permit is required to visit the lake as it lies on the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control. For security reasons, India does not permit boating. Groups are permitted, accompanied by an accredited guide.[36][37]
China National Highway 219 passes by the eastern end of Pangong Tso. The lake can be accessed by driving 12km from Rutog or 130km from Shiquanhe. Tourists can rent a boat on the lake, but landing on islands is not allowed for protecting the breeding ground of the birds. There are several restaurants along the shore.[38]
Flora and fauna
The eastern part of the lake is fresh, with the content of total dissolved solids at 0.68 g/L, while the western part of the lake is saline, with the salinity at 11.02 g/L.[39] The brackish water[40] of the lake has very low micro-vegetation. Guides report that there are no fish or other aquatic life on the Indian side of the lake, except for some small crustaceans. On the other hand, visitors see numerous ducks and gulls over and on the lake surface. There are some species of scrub and perennial herbs that grow in the marshes around the lake.
The lake acts as an important breeding ground for a variety of birds including a number of migratory birds. During summer, the Bar-headed goose and Brahmini ducks are commonly seen here.[41] The region around the lake supports a number of species of wildlife including the kiang and the marmot. The lake hosts large quantities of fish, especially Schizopygopsis stoliczkai[42] and Racoma labiata.[43] Freshwater snails of the genus Radix also live in the lake.[44]
Formerly, Pangong Tso had an outlet to Shyok River, a tributary of the Indus River, but it was closed off due to natural damming. Two streams feed the lake from the Indian side, forming marshes and wetlands at the edges.[45] Strand lines above current lake level reveal a 5m (16ft) thick layer of mud and laminated sand, suggesting the lake has shrunken recently in geological scale.[40] On the Indian side, no fish have been observed, however in the stream coming from South-eastern side (Cheshul nalla), three fish species (Schizopygopsis stoliczkae, Tibetan stone loach and Triplophysa gracilis) have been reported (Bhat et al., 2011). The low biodiversity has been reported as being due to high salinity and harsh environmental conditions (Bhat et al., 2011).
Bird Islet is a popular location for bird-watching for tourists to Ngari.[46]
The LAC displayed is that marked by the OpenStreetMap editors, said to reflect the Chinese maps.
From map: "THE DELINEATION OF INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES ON THIS MAP MUST NOT BE CONSIDERED AUTHORITATIVE"
Citations
Wang, M., Hou, J. and Lei, Y., 2014. Classification of Tibetan lakes based on variations in seasonal lake water temperature. Chinese Science Bulletin, 59(34): 4847-4855.
Hedin, Sven Anders (1907). Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia 1899-1902: Central and West Tibet. Lithographic institute of the General staff of the Swedish army. p.521. From Noh to Bal Rawling followed the same route that I did along the northern shore of the Tso-ngombo, which he calls the Tso Mo Gualari, dividing it into the sections: Tso Nyak, the twin lakes Rum Tso and Nyak Tso. He says that it consists of a string of five lakes 120 m. in length, the four most southern of which are fresh, and Pangong, the most northerly, salt. They are joined together by channels about 60 feet in width and 15 feet deep, the current running at nearly 1½ mile an hour.
Saward, M. H. (1878). Routes in Asia: Routes in the territories of the Maharaja of Jummoo and Kashmir, and adjacent countries. Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. pp.31–33. Only the lower lake (the Pangong Tso proper) lies in Ladak, the middle (Tso Nyak) and upper lakes being in Rudok territory. ... The waters of the western end are much more salt than those of the eastern end near Ot. in the stream connecting the Pangong Tso with Nyak Tso the water becomes drinkable, and rich grass is found on the banks.
"Pangong Lake". Union Territory of Ladakh. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020. Pangong Lake, one of the most famous lakes in Leh Ladakh, derives its name from the Tibetan word, "Pangong Tso", which means "high grassland lake".
Michelle Coxall; Paul Greenway (1 September 1996). Indian Himalaya: a Lonely Planet travel survival kit. Lonely Planet. ISBN978-0-86442-413-6. The salty Pangong Tso - Pangong means 'hollow' - is the highest lake in Ladakh at about 4300m, and is flanked by massive peaks over 6500m high.
Kirit Rindani (7 January 2016). Indian Himalaya: Story of a 100 Visits. Partridge Publishing India. p.80. ISBN978-1-4828-5886-0. The word Pangong means 'extensive concavity' which probably explains its size.
"Pangong Tso Lake in Tibet". China Daily. 17 July 2012. Pangong Tso Lake is a trans-border lake extending from the Ali prefecture of China's Tibet autonomous region to India. About 155 kilometers in length, the geographic features of the lake are indicated in the name which in Tibetan means "long, narrow, enchanted lake".
"Pangong Tso Lake in the Northern Tibet". Kangba TV. 6 March 2017. Pangong Tso Lake, at an altitude of 4,200 meters, is also called Tsomo Nganglha Ringpo Lake, which means "a swan with a long neck" in Tibetan.
India, Ministry of External Affairs, ed. (1962), Report of the Officials of the Governments of India and the People's Republic of China on the Boundary Question, Government of India Press, Chinese Report, Part 1(PDF) (Report). pp.4–5.
The location and terrain features of this traditional customary boundary line are now described as follows in three sectors, western, middle and eastern. ... From Ane Pass southwards, the boundary line runs along the mountain ridge and passes through peak 6,127 (approximately 78° 46' E, 38° 50' N) [sic] and then southwards to the northern bank of the Pangong Lake' (approximately 78° 49' E, 33° 44' N). It crosses this lake and reaches its southern bank at approximately 78° 43' E, 33° 40' N. Then it goes in a south-easterly direction along the watershed dividing the Tongada River and the streams flowing into the Spanggur Lake until it reaches Mount Sajum.
中共與印度邊境衝突!150士兵互毆10多人掛彩[Another 150 soldiers in the Sino-Indian border conflict caused 12 injuries in a fight]. New Tang Dynasty Television (in Traditional Chinese). 11 May 2020.
費風 (11 May 2020). 中印邊境再爆衝突 150士兵毆鬥釀12傷[Another 150 soldiers in the Sino-Indian border conflict caused 12 injuries in a fight]. Hong Kong Economic Times (in Traditional Chinese). 消息指,第一起事件發生於5月5日至6日,在中印邊境的班公錯湖(Pangong Tso )地區,當時解放軍的「侵略性巡邏」(aggressive patrolling)被印度軍方阻攔。「結果發生了混亂,雙方都有一些士兵受傷。」{...}2017年8月,兩國軍隊曾於拉達克地區班公湖附近爆發衝突,當時雙方擲石攻擊對方,雙方均有人受傷,最終兩軍在半小時後退回各自據點。
Chang Ya-Han 張雅涵, ed. (10 March 2020). 中國在西藏地區軍演頻繁 牽動中印未來危機應對[China's military exercises in Tibet frequently affect China and India's future crisis response]. Radio Taiwan International (in Chinese (Taiwan)).
"Racoma labiata". China Animal Scientific Database. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
Oheimb, Parm Viktor von; Albrecht, Christian; Riedel, Frank; Du, Lina; Yang, Junxing; Aldridge, David C.; Bößneck, Ulrich; Zhang, Hucai; Wilke, Thomas (2011). "Freshwater Biogeography and Limnological Evolution of the Tibetan Plateau - Insights from a Plateau-Wide Distributed Gastropod Taxon (Radix spp.)". PLOS One6(10): e26307. PMID22028853, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026307.
Biksham Gujja; Archana Chatterjee; Parikshit Gautam & Pankaj Chandan (August 2003). "Wetlands and Lakes at the Top of the World". Mountain Research and Development. Bern, Switzerland: International Mountain Society. 23 (3): 219–221. doi:10.1659/0276-4741(2003)023[0219:WALATT]2.0.CO;2. ISSN1994-7151.
Dreams of Snow Land. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. 2005. pp.273-275. ISBN7-119-03883-4 – via archive.org.
Dortch, Jason M.; Owen, Lewis A.; Caffee, Marc W.; Kamp, Ulrich (2011). "Catastrophic partial drainage of Pangong Tso, northern India and Tibet". Geomorphology. 125 (1): 109–121. Bibcode:2011Geomo.125..109D. doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2010.08.017. ISSN0169-555X.
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