According to an assessment of the United Nations, there are more than 100 million mines lying buried in various present and past conflict zones in over 60 countries in the world. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimates that the casualty rate from mines currently exceeds 26,000 people every year. The current stockpile in the world is estimated to be in excess of 100 million mines and this is increasing every year with the current annual world production of over five million mines. What is more significant is the fact that up to three million fresh mines are still being laid every year.
Though the world is trying to rid itself of all mines, the present rate of clearance is less than one tenth the rate of fresh laying. It is apparent that despite the ongoing movement to ban landmines the world over, mines will continue to play a major role in all conflicts in the foreseeable future. As a matter of fact, rapid technological advances are being made in their designs and methods of laying. Their actuating mechanism varies from pressure to seismic disturbance. They incorporate anti-handling devices and booby traps to make their disarming and recovery hazardous.
Every army has to be equipped and trained to undertake mine clearance operations both during and after a conflict. Mine clearance in its broadest meaning implies clearing a designated area of all land mines.
Every army has to be equipped and trained to undertake mine clearance operations both during and after a conflict. Mine clearance in its broadest meaning implies clearing a designated area of all land mines. Mine clearance can be done by two primary methods – either by locating and physically removing them or by actuating/destroying them at site. Given suitable ground conditions (soil, slope and foliage), the ideal methodology found so far has been initial destruction by mechanical means followed by manual proofing.
Nature of Mine Clearance Tasks
Methodology of mine clearance depends on its objectives. Mine clearance in a conflict environment demands different solutions than those applicable during peace.
Mine Breaching in War
Mines are laid prior to or during operations to create an obstacle to impede the advance of adversary. The primary purpose is to defend an area, to channelise enemy forces into pre-designated areas by imposing restrictions on their movement and to deny the use of large operationally critical areas. Mine clearance during conflict is commonly referred to as minefield breaching as the aim is to clear a passage through a minefield and not to demine the entire area. Time is of critical importance.
Leading armoured vehicles carry mine-clearing ploughs for their own mobility through a minefield. Ploughs clear tread-ways by digging out and pushing mines sideways. Proper passages have to be subsequently breached for follow up vehicles and supply echelons. These safe lanes are created with mechanical means and subsequently probed manually. All militaries, therefore, need a large number of mine clearing machines. Along with speed of breaching, such machines are required to provide adequate safety to the operators from bursting mines and hostile enemy fire. They should also possess matching mobility to be able to keep pace with advancing columns.
It is estimated that during Operation PRAKARAM, over one million mines were laid along 3200 km long Indo-Pak border, covering nearly 35000 acres of land.
Post-Operations Mine Recovery
Extensive minefields laid prior to and during a conflict have to be recovered subsequently to put the land back to agriculture and other applications. Each and every mine has to be accounted to avoid civilian casualties. It is an extremely time consuming and risky task. Though all mines laid are duly recorded, their recovery poses immense problems due to a variety of reasons like drifting due to rains, dragging by rodents, growth of vegetation and even accidental detonation by animals. Therefore, the only practical option is to use mechanical means to destroy mines in areas where manual recovery becomes untenable. A high degree of assurance and safety of recovery parties, rather than the speed of recovery are of paramount importance.
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