Study maps the hanging-glacier avalanche risk to Badrinath town
28 October 2026
A study just published in the international journal Landslides has examined how an avalanche from a hanging glacier above Badrinath could affect the pilgrim town in Chamoli district. It was done by scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE) of the DRDO, and the University of Cambridge. Of three glaciers studied, the one marked Site 2 was the most dangerous and could release 5.89 million cubic metres of ice. In a high-mobility case, 398 buildings, 3.87 hectares of farmland and 15.57 hectares of forest could be hit, besides a helipad, parking areas and roads. The team combined remote-sensing data with the Rapid Mass Movement Simulation (RAMMS) model. The authors said the results do not point to an imminent collapse, and called for early-warning systems and better land-use planning.
In plain words
Hanging glacier Hanging glacier — A mass of ice on a steep mountain slope from which sections can break off and fall into the valley.
DGRE Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment — A DRDO laboratory that studies snow, avalanches and terrain.
RAMMS Rapid Mass Movement Simulation — A computer model that simulates avalanches and other mass flows.