NGT issues notice to Centre over risks from hanging glaciers in central Himalaya

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance on 24 April 2026 of a news report titled "Study Flags Overlooked Danger Posed By Hanging Glaciers ...

What Happened

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance on 24 April 2026 of a news report titled "Study Flags Overlooked Danger Posed By Hanging Glaciers on Mountain Slopes in Central Himalaya," published on 20 April 2026.
A bench comprising the NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. Afroz Ahmad registered Original Application No. 258/2026, finding prima facie violations of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The study underpinning the NGT action was conducted by researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar, and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and published in npj Natural Hazards.
The study identified 219 hanging glaciers covering 71.7 ± 3.5 km² with an ice volume of 2.39 ± 0.42 km³ in the Alaknanda basin, Uttarakhand; worst-case avalanche scenarios could reach Badrinath, Mana, and Hanuman Chatti.
The NGT issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and other stakeholders; next hearing scheduled for 6 August 2026.

Static Topic Bridges

National Green Tribunal (NGT): Powers and Jurisdiction

The National Green Tribunal was established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 as a specialised quasi-judicial body for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and natural resources. It has original, appellate, and suo motu jurisdiction and can take cognisance of any matter on its own initiative without a formal petition.

Established: 18 October 2010 under NGT Act, 2010
Headquartered: New Delhi; regional benches at Pune, Bhopal, Kolkata, Chennai
Jurisdiction: Covers all civil cases involving substantial questions of environmental law or damage
Suo motu powers: NGT can take up cases on its own based on news reports, studies, or any credible material
Penalty powers: Can impose fines, direct restoration, grant compensation
Acts covered: Water Act 1974, Air Act 1981, Environment Protection Act 1986, Forest Conservation Act 1980, Biodiversity Act 2002, and others
Appeals: Lie to the Supreme Court of India

Connection to this news: NGT's suo motu action on the basis of a peer-reviewed research paper demonstrates the Tribunal's proactive role in translating scientific findings into legal accountability — a model consistent with India's environmental governance architecture.

Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

The Environment (Protection) Act (EPA), 1986 is an umbrella legislation enacted under Article 253 of the Constitution (Parliament's power to legislate to give effect to international treaties) following the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It empowers the Central Government to take all measures for environmental protection and prevention of environmental hazards.

Enacted: 23 May 1986
Authority: Central Government through MoEFCC
Key powers under EPA: Issue directions for closure/regulation of industries; restrict area-specific activities (CRZ, eco-sensitive zones); set standards for emissions/effluents
Section 5 powers: Government can issue binding directions to any person, officer, or authority
Penalties: Imprisonment up to 5 years or fine up to ₹1 lakh or both (Section 15)
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notifications are issued under this Act

Connection to this news: The NGT's finding of "prima facie violations" of the EPA in the glacier context relates to inadequate assessment of environmental hazards and non-compliance with area-specific protection norms in eco-sensitive Himalayan zones.

Hanging Glaciers and Glacial Hazard Science

A hanging glacier is a glacier that terminates on a steep cliff or rock face, precariously attached to the mountain rather than resting on a valley floor. As global temperatures rise, these glaciers lose their basal adhesion and become prone to sudden, massive ice-avalanche events. Unlike valley glaciers, hanging glaciers give little warning before they collapse.

Study area: Alaknanda basin, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand (includes Badrinath, Mana, Hanuman Chatti)
219 hanging glaciers identified; total area: 71.7 ± 3.5 km²; total ice volume: 2.39 ± 0.42 km³; hanging ice mass: 0.74 ± 0.14 km³
Key hazards: Ice avalanches → river blockage → Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
Drivers: Glacial retreat due to climate change + seismic sensitivity of the Himalayan region + rapid infrastructure expansion
Alaknanda: A major tributary of the Ganga; flows through Char Dham pilgrimage corridor
Related precedent disasters: Rishi Ganga flash flood (February 2021, Chamoli), Kedarnath flood (June 2013)
NDMA has issued guidelines for GLOF risk management (2020)

Connection to this news: The IISc-IIT-DRDO study quantified for the first time the basin-scale exposure of hanging glaciers in this region; the NGT's action now places a statutory compliance obligation on authorities to assess and mitigate these risks.

Alaknanda Basin and Char Dham Corridor

The Alaknanda is one of the two headstreams (along with the Bhagirathi) that merge at Devprayag to form the Ganga. The basin includes the Badrinath shrine and the Char Dham Yatra corridor, which sees millions of pilgrims annually — making the hanging glacier risk especially significant for human safety.

Alaknanda originates: Satopanth and Bhagirath Kharak glaciers, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand
Confluences: Nandakini (Nandprayag), Pindar (Karnaprayag), Mandakini (Rudraprayag), Bhagirathi (Devprayag — formation of Ganga)
Char Dham: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath — all in seismically active Himalayan zone
Char Dham All-Weather Road Project: Infrastructure expansion is increasing human vulnerability in glacier-proximate zones

Connection to this news: The risk is not abstract — avalanche runout zones in worst-case modelling reach densely visited pilgrimage sites, making the NGT notice a direct governance response to climate-induced disaster risk.

Key Facts & Data

NGT established: 18 October 2010 under NGT Act, 2010
Jurisdiction Act: Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (enacted under Article 253 of Constitution)
EPA enacted: 23 May 1986; penalty (Section 15): up to 5 years imprisonment or fine up to ₹1 lakh
NGT case registered: Original Application No. 258/2026
NGT bench: Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson) + Dr. Afroz Ahmad (Expert Member)
Study institutions: IISc Bengaluru, IIT Bhubaneswar, DRDO — published in npj Natural Hazards
Hanging glaciers identified: 219 in Alaknanda basin
Total glacial area: 71.7 ± 3.5 km²; ice volume: 2.39 ± 0.42 km³
Hanging ice mass: 0.74 ± 0.14 km³
Avalanche reach zones: Badrinath, Mana, Hanuman Chatti (Char Dham corridor)
Authorities notified: MoEFCC, CPCB, NMCG, and other stakeholders
Next hearing: 6 August 2026
Alaknanda merges with Bhagirathi at Devprayag to form the Ganga