An ice avalanche triggered by the collapse of the largest of three hanging glaciers above Badrinath could damage nearly 398 buildings, 2.66 km of roads, two bridges, a helipad and a parking area in the Himalayan pilgrimage town, according to a worst-case scenario derived by a new modelling study funded by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The peer-reviewed paper, published in the Landslides journal on October 28, assessed the vulnerability of three hanging glaciers located between 4,700 and 5,465 metres above sea level and the risk they pose to Badrinath pilgrimage town if they detach from the mountains.

The study was carried out by researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), the University of Cambridge, and DRDO.

The findings are a warning for Badrinath, located at an elevation of approximately 3,415 metres above mean sea level along the banks of the Alaknanda River, a major tributary of the Ganga.…