The Swiss government is looking for innovative solutions to remove thousands of tonnes of ammunition dumped in the lakes. And this also includes a hefty prize money of 50,000 francs (Rs 48.5 lakh). It is estimated that there were about 3,300 tonnes of ammunition in Lake Lucerne and 4,500 tonnes in Lake Neuchatel, which were destroyed by the Swiss army.
background
The tradition of dumping ammunition in lakes dates back to the Cold War era, when Switzerland maintained a large militia army as part of its “armed neutrality” defense strategy. For decades, between 1918 and 1964, the Swiss army used the lakes – Neuchâtel, Thun, Brienz and Lucerne – as dumping grounds for old ammunition, believing it to be a safe disposal method. However, the reality is far from it. Some ammunition lies at a depth of 150-220 meters, while others are just six or seven meters below the surface. The risk of explosion and water and soil contamination is high, plus toxic TNT could potentially pollute lake water and sediments.
Challenges
The sunken ammunition is covered by a layer of fine sediment, and recovery efforts could stir up the sediment, leading to oxygen depletion and harm to the lake ecosystem. Previous assessments have shown that the proposed recovery technique would lead to turbidity in the water and pose a high risk to the lake’s sensitive ecosystem.
The recovery operation is expected to be long and expensive, with estimates that it could cost billions of dollars, which is why the Swiss defense department is seeking ideas for a safe and environmentally friendly solution to retrieving the weapons, and the public has been asked to submit their proposals by February next year.
The competition is open and anonymous, with the top three entries carrying prize money of around Rs 50 lakh and the last date for submission of entries is February 6, 2025. A panel of experts will evaluate the entries based on predefined criteria and declare the results in April 2025.
Retired Swiss geologist Marcos Buser has suggested seeking advice from countries with experience in dealing with unexploded weapons of war, such as the UK, Norway or Denmark. According to the BBC, Mr Buser, who advised the government on the issue, warned about the dangers of explosions and contamination and the need for a careful and well-planned recovery operation.
In his paper, Mr. Buser highlighted two primary concerns: explosion hazard and water and soil pollution.
Since the fuses were not removed from the ammunition before dumping, there is a risk of explosion even under water. This is a major threat to the environment and human safety. Water and soil contamination is another concern, as the highly toxic TNT can pollute lake water and sediments. This can have a devastating effect on the ecosystem.
This is not the first time the Swiss army has faced criticism for its management of ammunition. In 1947, a massive explosion in Mitholz killed nine people and destroyed the village. More recently, the army revealed that 3,500 tonnes of unused ammunition buried in the mountain was not secured, requiring a decade-long clean-up operation.
