Hanging Glaciers Threaten Badrinath Infrastructure: DRDO Study

Key Highlights 

• A DRDO-funded study published in Landslides journal warns an ice avalanche from hanging glaciers could damage 398 buildings, 2.66 km of roads, two bridges, a helipad, and a parking area in Badrinath.  

• The study assessed three hanging glaciers situated between 4,700 and 5,465 metres altitude above Badrinath town, located at 3,415 metres elevation on the Alaknanda River banks.  

• The second glacier poses the highest risk, holding 5.32 million cubic metres of ice with a steep 34.57° slope, capable of attaining peak velocity of 78.5 m/s and flow height of 73.5 metres.  

• Research was conducted jointly by IISc Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Cambridge University, and DRDO using satellite imagery and elevation modeling.  

• While Badrinath shrine is not expected to be hit directly, accumulated rock and debris from such an event could severely impact the temple precinct.  

Essential Definitions 

• Hanging Glacier: A glacier perched on a steep mountain slope or bedrock cliff above a valley, terminating abruptly and prone to detachment and ice avalanches.  

• Basal Resistance: The friction force at the glacier base resisting sliding, which diminishes as warming temperatures introduce liquid water at the bed. 

Summary & Background 

• Badrinath is a critical Himalayan pilgrimage site attracting 1.7 million visitors during the 2025 Char Dham Yatra, rendering its high infrastructure concentration vulnerable to natural hazards. 

• Glacier transition toward temperate conditions lowers basal resistance, increasing slope failure and ice detachment probability in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.  

• An earlier study identified 219 hanging glaciers in the region, with nearly 30% located in the Alaknanda basin exhibiting unstable ice mass. 

 Legal And Constitutional Framework 

• Disaster Management Act, 2005: Provides statutory backing for institutional disaster risk reduction, mandatory hazard zoning, and early warning systems. 

• Environment Protection Act, 1986: Empowers authorities to regulate infrastructure development and enforce eco-sensitive zone norms in fragile mountain ecosystems. 

• Article 48A & 51A(g): Constitutional obligations directing the State and citizens to protect and improve the natural environment and wild ecology. Impact & Measures

 • Demarcate clear avalanche impact and buffer zones based on worst-case glacial runout scenarios to safeguard lives and vital assets.  

• Impose strict regulatory bans on unsustainable construction and heavy infrastructure expansion within high-vulnerability Himalayan zones.  

• Replicate standardized high-resolution satellite risk assessment methodology across vulnerable Himalayan townships to enable proactive disaster preparedness.  

Conclusion 

The findings highlight the urgent imperative to balance pilgrim infrastructure development with ecological carrying capacity in the Himalayas. Implementing scientific risk zoning, real-time monitoring, and strict regulatory limits on construction is essential to prevent catastrophic climateinduced glacial disasters. 

UPSC Relevance 

• General Studies Paper III: Disaster management, disaster risk reduction, climate change impacts, fragile Himalayan ecology, and environmental impact assessment.