The source of Chang Chenmo is near the Lanak Pass in the Chinese-administered region of Kashmir (as part of the Rutog County in Tibet).[1][3][4]
The river flows west from Lanak La. At the middle of its course lies the Kongka Pass, part of the Line of Actual Control between India and China passes.[5]
Continuing west, the river enters a deep gorge in the Karakoram Range until it joins the Shyok River in Ladakh.
Name
Chang Chenmo means "Great Northern" in Tibetic languages.[6]
It is primarily the name of the valley rather than the river.[7]
Geography
Changchenmo River Valley. The Changchenmo originates in east near Lanak La, flows in Chinese-held area till Konka La and thereafter in the Indian-held area via Tsogstsalu and Hot Springs to its confluence with Shyok River. on Darbuk–Shyok–DBO Road (DSDBO Road). Its tributary (Survey of India,1916)Changchenmo Valley in a US Army map of 1955
The Chang Chenmo Valley lies in a depression between the Karakoram Range in the north and the Changchenmo Range in the south. The depression continues into Tibet, all the way to Yeshil Kul (Bangda Co) and Lake Lighten (Guozha Co) on the Khotan border.[8]
The depression is now recognized as a geological fault called the Longmu Co fault, part of the larger Longmu–Guozha Co fault system.[9]
The Chang Chenmo River has its origin in a glacier southwest of the Lanak Pass, which lies on a low ridge in the middle of the valley. The southern mountains are much more glaciated than the north and possibly much of Changchenmo's waters are derived from them.
The Changchenmo flows on gravel bed for much of its course, described as "stony and bare". Numerous tributary streams flow into it from the north as well as the south, bringing alluvium. Grass grows in the alluvial beds, which is said to be used by the Ladakhis for autumn grazing. However, there is the ever-present danger of snowfall, which can cover up the grass. Unless the animals can be brought back over the high passes they would be in danger of starvation.[10]
In the middle of the Changchenmo valley, a large spur of the Karakoram Range inserts itself, causing the river to zigzag its way through its hills. The Kongka Pass lies on the last of these hills. To the west of the spur, the large tributary of the Kugrang River flows into the river. To its east the Kyapsang River does the same. Three prominent grazing grounds are found to the west of the Kongka Pass, viz., Kyam (or Kiam, also called Hot Springs),[11]Tsolu (or Tsogstalu), and Pamzal.[12] Another one called Gogra[13] is to the northwest in the Kugrang River valley, where another tributary called Changlung flows into Kugrang.[14]
After Pamzal, the river enters a narrow gorge through the main Karakoram Range, where it becomes a rapid stream. This part of the valley is not traversable except in winter when the river is frozen.[15][16]
Changchenmo Range is the name given to the mass of mountains lying between the Chang Chenmo Valley and the Pangong Tso to the south.[21] It has several glaciated spurs which slop down and jut into the northern bank of Pangong Tso, and these spurs are called as the fingers. From west to east, these are named as the
Finger-1 to Finger-8.[22] According to the Britannica, the Changchenmo Range and Pangong Range are sometimes considered easternmost part of the Karakoram Range.[23] Prominent features in Changchenmo Range are the Marsimik La, eight "fingers", the Sirijap alluvial plain, Khurnak Plain, etc.
History
In the late 1800s, in order to facilitate trade between the Indian subcontinent and Tarim Basin, the British attempted to promote a caravan route via the Chang Chenmo Valley as an alternative to the difficult and tariffed Karakoram Pass.[24] The Maharaja Ranbir Singh at the request of the British made improvements to the trails and facilities of the campsites in Chang Chenmo Valley.[25][26] Unfortunately, in addition of being longer and higher elevation than the traditional route, this route also goes through the desolate desert of Aksai Chin.[24][26] By 1890s, traders have mostly given up on this route.[17] At the time, Chang Chenmo valley was also a popular hunting spot for British officers on leave.[27][28]
"Changchenmo-Tsogtsalu Road" (CTR), 55 km long: India's BRO will complete the construction of the 55 km long road, from the confluence of Changchenmo & Shyok rivers to Tsogtsalu by December 2023 (August 2023 update), to connect the strategic strategic Changchenmo sector.[31] In October 2023, NHIDCL invited proposal to complete the "detailed project report" (DPR) to upgrade this road to a single-lane national highway with a 700-metre tunnel. The DPR must be completed in 10 months. The road will be updgraded as per the international standards including "highway design, pavement design, service roads wherever needed, type of intersections, rehabilitation and widening of existing and construction of new bridges and structures, road safety features, quantities of materials, cost estimates, and economic analysis".[32]
"Phobrang-Marsimik La-Tsogtsalu-Hot Springs Road" (PMTHR) or "Marsimik La Road" (MLR): BRO is constructing this motorable black-topped road.[33] It used to be a dirt track built earlier in 1983 under the supervision of Everester Sonam Paljore. Marsimik La in Chang-Chemno Mountain Range is 20 km line of sight and 42 km driving distance northwest of the Pangong Tso, and 4 km south of LAC.[34]
Tourism
Since May 2023, India has opened the Changchenmo sector for the tourism, no Inner Line Permit (ILP) are needed, BRO is building various roads in this sector and police is setting up the tourist check post. Consequently, tourist will be able to travel up to Tsogatsalu and beyond to Hot Springs via Shyok River-Tsogatsalu-Hot Springs Road as well as via the road from Pangong Tso & 18,314-feet-high Marsimik La (pass) to Tsogtsalo pastureland near the confluence of Rimdi Chu and Chang Chenmo rivers. In the next phase tourists will be able to travel up to the Hot Springs and the Police Memorial. The Memorial was constructed to commemorate the sacrifice and martyrdom of ten CRPF soldiers killed on 21 October 1959 by the Chinese while they were on a patrol.[33][35] "Chak Mandir" is a Hindu temple near the Marsimik La which tourist can visit.[34]
^ ab
Negi, Sharad Singh (1991). Himalayan Rivers, Lakes, and Glaciers. Indus Publishing. pp. 53–. ISBN978-81-85182-61-2. The Chang Chenmo river is a tributary of the Shyok river which joins the Indus river in Ladakh. This river originates from a large glacier on the western slopes of the Lanak La pass
^Drew, The Jummoo and Kashmir Territories (1875), p. 327: "Changchenmo is the name of a long valley, tributary to the Shayok [Shyok], which extends nearly east and west for more than 70 miles as the crow flies."
^Drew, The Jummoo and Kashmir Territories (1875), pp. 329–330: "Still the vegetation, scarce though it be, is enough to help on the traveller, and even to support the following of one or two families of tent-dwellers who pass a portion of the year in Changchenmo."
^ abcdeWard, A. E. (1896). The Tourist's And--sportsman's Guide to Kashmir and Ladak, &c. Thacker, Spink. pp. 106–107. Joining the left bank of the river opposite to Kyam are the Silung Yokma, Silung Burma and Silung Kongma. ... cross the Changchenmo valley journey up the Kiepsang stream ... The traders have now almost entirely given up the Changchenmo-Shahidula route to Yarkand.
^ abKohli, Harish (2000). Across the Frozen Himalaya: The Epic Winter Ski Traverse from Karakoram to Lipu Lekh. Indus Publishing. pp. 86–87. ISBN978-81-7387-106-1. the five difficult passes through the Karakorams posed a barrier ... Cayley reconnoitred a route that went through the Changchenmo ranges ... if anything these new passes were higher than the ones they replaced, and the land in between them was also higher. ... The route had another advantage in that trade from British India could flow through Kulu via Changchenmo to Yarkand, completely bypassing the customs officials of the Maharaja at Leh.
^Kaul, Hriday Nath (2003). India China Boundary in Kashmir. Gyan Publishing House. p. 111. ISBN978-81-212-0826-0. Ranbir Singh having, at British request, built the road, "serais" and small store houses for grain.
^ abAccounts and Papers. East India. Vol. XLIX. House of Commons, British Parliament. 1874. pp. 23–33. (p26) The Changchenmo line ... The extra distance and the sojourn for 5 days longer in such a desolate tract (p33) Every endeavour has been made to improve the Changchenmo route--serais having been built at some places, and depots of grain established as far as Gogra
^Hayward, G. W. (1870). "Journey from Leh to Yarkand and Kashgar, and Exploration of the Sources of the Yarkand River". Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London. 40: 37. doi:10.2307/1798640. ISSN0266-6235. Chang Chenmo is now well known, being visited every year by at least half-a-dozen officers on long leave to Kashmir. The game to be found...
^ abFar Eastern Economic Review. 1963. p. 446. October 19 a party from a permanent Indian post at Tsogstsalu, 60 or 65 miles west of the border claimed by India north of Lake Pangong, set up a temporary camp at Hot Spring, some fifteen miles further east. Three men of this party, who had made a reconnaissance eastward towards a pass called Kongka La, failed to return. A patrol of about twenty therefore departed on the morning of the 21st in search of them, dividing into two groups. According to the Indian account these groups were groups were suddenly attacked with automatic and mortar fire, one from a Chinese force entrenched on a nearby hill and the other from a force on the south bank of the Chang Chenmo river.
^Jindal, Akash (November–December 2018). "The Story of Hot Springs"(PDF). Indian Police Journal. No. Special Issue on Police Martyrdom. pp. 20–33. ISSN0537-2429. Retrieved 4 January 2020. p. 22: Karam Singh of ITBF was assigned the task of establishing outposts near the Chinese Occupation Line ... "Hot Springs" was barely three Km far from the site where Chinese Army had intruded.
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