Why is Switzerland offering Rs 49 lakh to pull ammunition from its lakes?

Switzerland’s serene lakes have long been a haven for tourists, offering stunning alpine views and tranquil waters. However, beneath the surface of these picturesque bodies of water lies a hidden danger — tonnes of old military munitions that were dumped by the Swiss military between 1918 and 1964.

In response, Swiss authorities have launched an innovative competition to find a solution to this decades-old problem, offering substantial prize money to those who can devise safe and environmentally friendly methods to remove the submerged ammunition.

What is the competition all about?

In an effort to address the issue of submerged munitions, the Swiss federal office for defence procurement, known as Armasuisse, has announced a competition inviting ideas for the safe recovery of these hazardous materials.

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The competition, which will run until February 6, 2025, offers a total prize pool of 50,000 Swiss francs (approximately $57,800), to be shared among the three best proposals.

The winning ideas, while not immediately implemented, could serve as the foundation for future research into the removal of these munitions.

As stated by Armasuisse, “With the launching of an idea competition, Armasuisse wants to increasingly involve academia and industry in the considerations on how environmentally friendly and safe recovery of deep lake ammunition could be carried out, should this ever become an issue.”

How extensive is the issue?

The issue of submerged munitions is not new. In lakes such as Lucerne, Thun, and Neuchatel, vast quantities of ammunition have been resting on the lakebeds for decades.

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For instance, Lake Lucerne alone is believed to contain around 3,300 tonnes of munitions, while Lake Neuchatel harbours approximately 4,500 tonnes. Some of these munitions lie at depths ranging from 150 to 220 metres, with others in Lake Neuchatel situated just six to seven metres below the surface.

Is there any danger involved?

Retired Swiss geologist Marcos Buser, who has advised the government on this issue, highlighted the dangers associated with these submerged munitions in a research paper published a decade ago, reported BBC.

He pointed out that the munitions pose two significant risks: the potential for explosions and environmental contamination. “The army did not remove the fuses before dumping the munition,” Buser noted, adding that there is also a real risk of toxic TNT contaminating the water and sediment.

The Swiss government acknowledges these dangers, stating that factors such as poor visibility, magnetic iron, and the individual weights of the ammunition — some of which weigh up to 50 kilogrammes (110 pounds)—create significant challenges for recovery efforts.

A previous assessment conducted in 2005 found that all proposed methods for recovering the munitions posed severe risks to the sensitive ecosystems of the lakes.

What does Switzerland’s history say?

Switzerland’s military has a history of mishandling its munitions, leading to devastating consequences. One of the most tragic incidents occurred in 1947 in the alpine village of Mitholz, where 3,000 tonnes of ammunition stored in a mountain depot exploded, killing nine people and causing extensive damage to the village.

The explosion was so powerful that it was heard 160 kilometres (100 miles) away in Zurich. In 2020, the military revealed that 3,500 tonnes of unexploded ammunition still remained buried in the mountain and announced plans to remove it, forcing residents to leave their homes for up to a decade while the cleanup operation takes place.

This pattern of negligence is not limited to Mitholz. The Swiss military’s Cold War defence strategy involved mining bridges and tunnels against potential invasions, which posed additional risks.

Some bridges had to be quickly demined as modern heavy goods vehicles threatened to trigger explosions. In 2001, a fire in the Gotthard Tunnel, one of Europe’s key north-to-south transport routes, resulted in the deaths of 11 people.

While the fire was unrelated to munitions, it highlighted the dangers posed by the large quantities of explosives stored near critical infrastructure.

The problem extends even to Switzerland’s glaciers, where receding ice due to climate change has revealed spent and live ammunition left over from high-altitude military training conducted decades ago. This legacy of Switzerland’s ‘armed neutrality’ defence strategy, which relies on a large militia army, continues to pose risks to public safety.

What’s the next move?

The task of removing the munitions from Switzerland’s lakes is expected to be long, complex, and costly, potentially running into billions of francs. The first step, however, is finding a workable plan to safely retrieve the munitions without causing further harm to the environment or risking explosions.

The Swiss defence department’s competition has sparked interest from various sectors, with the public encouraged to submit their ideas. A panel of experts will anonymously judge the entries, and the three winners will be announced in April 2025.

As the government stated, “It is not planned to implement the submitted entries immediately, but they could serve as the basis for further clarifications or for launching research projects.”

Buser has suggested that Switzerland could benefit from the experience of countries like the UK, Norway, or Denmark, which have dealt with wartime wrecks containing unexploded weapons, reported BBC. Although he is now retired, Buser offered his expertise, saying, “No, I’m too old now…but if they need any advice I will be pleased to give it.”