Beijing, July 17 : China has installed an unmanned automatic weather observation station near its border with India in Tibet to support its Army in the event of a live fire conflict with New Delhi.
Beijing plans to set up more such facilities in future in the plateau bordering India.
The station along the Indian border is situated at Yumai township under Lhunze county of Shannan Prefecture in Tibet and could provide data to help with transportation and communication in national defence, the state-run Global Times reported.
It could also offer support during regional live-fire conflicts.
The station will provide strong meteorological support for national defence and further promote border development as well as military-civilian integration, according to a statement on the official website of the Tibet weather bureau.
Regional weather is an important factor that could influence the take-off and landing of aircraft and the launch of missiles during a battle. A small weather observation station could provide such information, military expert Song Zhongping told the daily on Monday.
India and China, who fought in 1962 over their disputed border, were locked in over a two-month military stand-off last year near their border with Sikkim, which straddles Tibet.
"The station can observe six factors - air temperature, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and precipitation - with more accuracy than before," said Tashi Norbu, a technician in charge of the station.
With nine households and 32 residents, Yumai is China's smallest township in terms of population. It is located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas and affected by the monsoon climate of the Indian Ocean.
The only road linking Yumai and the outside world has been under construction since 2017. More weather stations will be set up when the road is completed, said Dawa, the secretary of the Communist Party of China's Yumai committee.
He said the station would help a lot in local pasture and road construction.
"Residents will enjoy better meteorological services to better safeguard every blade of grass and tree on the territory of the motherland," Dawa said.
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Amaravati, Nov 5: Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Tuesday said she viewed Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan's remarks on her handling of the state's law and order situation in a constructive way.
Anitha’s response followed Kalyan’s criticism the previous day over deteriorating law and order conditions and increased violence against women, particularly five months into the tenure of the new coalition government comprising the TDP, BJP, and Janasena.
"I took his (Kalyan’s) comments positively. His press meet was, in fact, encouraging. He provided a supportive foundation for my work and urged me to be even more assertive. That's what he communicated,” Anitha told reporters.
Anitha added that, as the Home Minister, she recognises her responsibilities and the demands of her role.
She also emphasised that Kalyan did not label her a failure.
The Home Minister noted that she had spoken to Kalyan about the matter, and he clarified that he was referring to the alleged registration of cases based on caste under the previous YSRCP government.
Further, she underscored that Andhra Pradesh is strict about maintaining law and order.
“The Chief Minister is serious that anyone contemplating a crime should fear. He (CM) said we will bring special laws to deter criminal behaviour. This message came directly from the CM,” she said.
Defending Kalyan as the Deputy Chief Minister, Anitha claimed that some people were "unnecessarily politicising" the issue.
On Monday, the Deputy CM expressed concerns about the state’s law and order situation, suggesting that “things would be different” if he were the Home Minister—remarks seen as direct criticism of Vangalapudi Anitha.
His comments came after recent incidents, including the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl by a relative in Tirupati district.
Meanwhile, YSRCP leader B Rajendranath sought to know who Kalyan was questioning.
"Whom are you (Kalyan) questioning? You are in power. You are the Deputy Chief Minister. Are you questioning yourself, your government, a particular minister, the CM, or the police department? We do not understand," Rajendranath said during a press conference in Hyderabad.
Rajendranath noted that while Anitha holds the Home Department portfolio, law and order is overseen by the CM. He questioned Kalyan's criticism of the police department’s functioning, reasoning that the government cannot operate without the system in place.
He advised Kalyan to address crime effectively, while former Tourism Minister and YSRCP leader RK Roja suggested that Kalyan’s comments reflected "failure" on the part of both the Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister.
Further, she alleged that the Home Minister has become "useless".