A sensational report regarding the Nanda Devi peak of the Himalayas has been published in the December 13, 2025 issue of the New York Times. This has created a stir in the political world of India. Many questions have also been raised. The question is, if there is radio active danger in Nanda Devi and surrounding areas, then did the then Indian government know about it? It is noteworthy that visiting this peak is prohibited.
On December 13, 2025, a new investigation by The New York Times again exposed this Cold War mission of 1965, in which a joint CIA-India team tried to plant a plutonium-powered device to track China’s nuclear tests. But it had fallen there due to a snow storm. Where it went then has not been known till date, although many attempts have been made to find it from time to time. Therefore, environmental concerns remain due to this.
This mission was to monitor the nuclear tests and missile launches taking place in Lop Nor, China. At that time China-India relations were tense. There was a war in 1962. India also wanted to keep an eye on China’s nuclear activities.
The mission was kept so secret that the Indian Parliament, the public and even most parts of the government were not aware of it for several decades. Its information became public in 1978 after a news appeared in the Washington Post.
When did this secret operation start?
This operation ran between 1964-69, when the CIA chose Nanda Devi after China’s first nuclear test. The SNAP-19C generator containing about 5 kg of plutonium was lost, which played a role in making Nanda Devi a protected area. The New York Times report on the CIA operation related to Nanda Devi published on December 13, 2025, is based on newly declassified documents, interviews of people involved in it, and American-Indian archives.
This report examines this failed Cold War mission in detail, uncovering the story of the plutonium device lost in the 1965 avalanche.
Nanda Devi peak remains covered with snow throughout the year.
Nanda Devi is situated at a very high altitude of 7816 meters. This peak remains covered with snow throughout the year. This area is surrounded by glaciers. The weather here is very harsh and unpredictable. Strong winds, heavy snow and ice storms are common, especially in winter and during difficult climbing seasons. Nanda Devi is a huge mountain mass which has two main peaks. Its double peak Rijunma is 2 kilometers long. This mountain is surrounded by many high peaks, it is called Nanda Devi Sanctuary. This sanctuary area is spread over a radius of 70 miles.
Is the plutonium device still buried in Nanda Devi?
The New York Times report may be considered timely amid China’s growing nuclear capabilities and Himalayan environmental risks; it brings old concerns back to the fore. It is possible that the plutonium device lost on Nanda Devi may still be buried in the glaciers of the Himalayas, as several search missions after 1965 were unsuccessful. Plutonium-238 has a half-life of 87 years, so it still remains radioactive. The glacier may seep from melting.
Recent reports have raised concerns that radiation from the device could reach the Ganga basin, causing cancer and health problems. The 2021 landslide was also linked to this, although no direct evidence was found.
Nanda Devi Temple on Nanda Devi Mountain Top
This place is now banned
Indian and American teams searched till 1978, but the device was not found even in 2025. Entry of tourists and climbers into the inner sanctuary of Nanda Devi National Park has been restricted since 1983, mainly due to ecological conservation and potential radioactive hazards. The Uttarakhand government considered opening the peak for mountaineering in 2025, but the ban on the main peak remained in place until July. Yes, limited religious pilgrimages like Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra definitely take place here and limited permission is given for the same.
How did India support this?
According to the report, when CIA did this mission, IB played an important role in it. The operation was carried out by a team of Indian mountaineers and Sherpas of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) led by IB officer Colonel Manmohan Singh Kohli. This happened under the supervision of the then IB Director Bhola Nath Mullick and other top officials. Indian authorities were consulted for site selection.
Which Indian Prime Minister approved it
This mission started with cooperation between India and America at the top level. Perhaps this was approved during the tenure of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Then it was carried out during the term of Indira Gandhi. Although this was a secret mission, the government’s intelligence system had complete information. It was known as Project Heights or Project Blue Moon.
It is said that Dr. Homi Bhabha, the then head of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), supported this project. Probably played an important role in this. However, he died in a plane crash in 1966. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore helped develop the insulation material for the device.
After the leak in the US Congress, Prime Minister Morarji Desai confirmed it in Parliament on 17 April 1978. He said this was a decision taken at the “highest level” between India and the US. He contacted American officials and expressed concern. Desai constituted a scientific committee led by Dr. Atma Ram with experts like Homi Sethna and Raja Ramanna, whose report recommended environmental monitoring.
More such activities of CIA
Yes, during the Cold War the CIA conducted similar secret operations in many countries. These projects were kept very secret. These were often discussed when documents were declassified decades later.
Project Azorian (Soviet submarine surveillance) – Installing nuclear reactor-powered listening devices on the seabed.
Project Mogul (Atmospheric Monitoring) – High-altitude balloons to detect nuclear tests.
Monitoring station in Antarctic – According to some reports, remote sensors were installed here.
