Story perspectives

1965 Nuclear Mission Sparks Contamination Fears in India

2/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

In the fall of 1965, Operation High Altitude Test, a joint Indian-American mission, attempted to install a nuclear telemetry device on Nanda Devi, led by Capt. Manmohan Singh Kohli.
The team retreated due to severe weather and altitude sickness, raising concerns about potential radioactive contamination of the Ganges River, vital for millions in India.
Despite extensive searches, no contamination was found, and in 1969, a final mission installed solar-powered monitors in the Himalayas.
The operation's details emerged in 1978, leading Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai to confirm the mission's existence and the uncertain environmental threat of the lost device.

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Story summary

In the fall of 1965, Operation High Altitude Test, a joint Indian-American mission, attempted to install a nuclear telemetry device on Nanda Devi, led by Capt. Manmohan Singh Kohli.
The team retreated due to severe weather and altitude sickness, raising concerns about potential radioactive contamination of the Ganges River, vital for millions in India.
Despite extensive searches, no contamination was found, and in 1969, a final mission installed solar-powered monitors in the Himalayas.
The operation's details emerged in 1978, leading Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai to confirm the mission's existence and the uncertain environmental threat of the lost device.