Lost nuclear device haunts Himalayas

In the height of the Cold War, a covert CIA operation in the Indian Himalayas resulted in the loss of a plutonium-powered nuclear device on Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak. The device, a SNAP-19C generator designed to power a surveillance station spying on China's missile program, was abandoned in a blizzard in 1965 and subsequently vanished after an avalanche. Despite numerous search attempts over the years, the generator has never been found, leading to a long-standing cover-up by the US government.

This lost device, containing radioactive plutonium, is believed to be buried under glaciers feeding the Ganges River, a vital water source for hundreds of millions. While initial studies in the 1970s found no contamination, concerns have resurfaced regarding potential environmental and security risks. The accelerating melt of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change raises fears that the device could be exposed or its radioactive material misused.

The incident became public in 1978, causing outrage in India over the secret CIA operation on its soil and the potential endangerment of the sacred Ganges. Declassified cables reveal efforts by President Carter and Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai to manage the fallout. Today, Indian officials, environmentalists, and local villagers continue to call for the device's location and removal, highlighting the enduring mystery and potential dangers.