Special winter clothing and equipment will be provided to CRPF troops at higher altitude

Subhashis Mittra

A special fund for winter clothing, an allocation of more than Rs 4.54 crore, has been sanctioned by the Union home ministry for Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troops operating from the Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs). These bases have been created for fighting terrorists in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir after the 2025 Pahalgam attack. The fund will be used for procurement of gaiters, sleeping bags, snow boots, goggles, extreme cold weather clothing developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO, brand name Himsuraksha), insulated mats, rucksacks, gloves, tents, thermal insoles, blankets and rescue bags for around 600 personnel. 

In July 2026, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) granted ‘complete authorisation’ to a CRPF proposal for procuring these items so that the troops could be better equipped for long duration reconnaissance patrols, survival and combat against terrorists, although most of these items were already provided to the TOB troops since last year. The life expectancy of these items is about two years, and the funds can be revised upwards for fresh procurement.

The TOBs, established at a height of 6,000 feet and above, house CRPF commandos for launching search and assault operations where terrorists are holed up in dhoks (mud and stone huts). The first such rocks and mortar base was created by the CRPF in July 2025 and, as per the latest data, the force has erected 55 TOBs in both Jammu and Kashmir. The TOBs hold a team of about 15-25 armed personnel with basic facilities for rest and recuperation. One such TOB of the CRPF was used as a base by the security forces in July 2025 to eliminate the three terrorists who were responsible for the Pahalgam attack. This mission was called Operation Mahadev.