What is Operation Him Setu?: UPSC Current Affairs

Description

Why In News?

Indian Army launched Operation Him Setu to rescue over 1,300 tourists stranded in North Sikkim.

What is Operation Him Setu?

Operation Him Setu is a major Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission launched by the Indian Army in North Sikkim.

Torrential rains triggered massive landslides in the sensitive Lachen and Lachung valleys of North Sikkim.

Bottleneck: Damaged roads between Chungthang and Lachen stranded tourists in freezing conditions without essentials.
Vulnerability: North Sikkim's high-altitude terrain is highly susceptible to cloudbursts and GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods).

The Role of Trishakti Corps

The Trishakti Corps of the Army organised the rescue mission.

Initial Response: The Army set up transit camps providing medical aid, food, and communication to stranded tourists.
Engineering Feat: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) built a temporary footbridge across the landslide zone for evacuation.

Strategic Significance

Civil-Military Synergy: The operation demonstrated seamless coordination between the Indian Army, BRO, and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

Net Security Provider: It reinforces the Army's role as a "first responder" in border regions where civilian administration reach is limited by geography.

Infrastructure Resilience: The operation highlights the critical need for "All-Weather Connectivity" in the Himalayas, a key pillar of the Vibrant Villages Programme.

Source: NEWSONAIR

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PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to 'Operation Him Setu', consider the following statements:

It was a combat exercise conducted to test mountain warfare readiness.
The operation was a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission in North Sikkim.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 or 2

Answer: B

Explanation:

Statement 1 is Incorrect: "Operation Him Setu" is not a combat or mountain warfare exercise. It is specifically a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission launched by the Indian Army's Trishakti Corps.

Statement 2 is Correct: The operation was launched in North Sikkim (specifically the Lachen and Chungthang areas) in response to massive landslides and a bridge collapse that severed vital road connectivity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Operation Him Setu was a massive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission launched by the Indian Army's Trishakti Corps in April 2026. It aimed to rescue and provide relief to thousands of tourists and locals stranded due to catastrophic landslides and flash floods in North Sikkim.

The Himalayas are geographically fragile, being the world's youngest mountain range with highly unstable tectonic zones. Additionally, climate change is accelerating glacial melting, leading to frequent extreme weather events like Cloudbursts and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs).

The Vibrant Villages Programme aims to develop infrastructure and economic opportunities in border villages to prevent out-migration. Ensuring all-weather, disaster-resilient connectivity is crucial for this program, as populated borders act as the first line of defense and intelligence for national security.