[sandGorgon]

Funny counter-legend here. So this place is the source glacier for...well about a 100 million people of so.

Nobody has kind of died. And yes, we do have a semblance of a free press in India. Which is fairly strange - 12 researchers working on nuclear devices in the past decades dying is not a big deal. But how come not even a few thousand died downstream? Plus this place is religiously significant. Given Indian religious beliefs are around dunking your children in holy waters...it's very surprising really.

The other "not so popular" theory is that India has an active base towards China positioned here. Which is a diplomatic shitfest because of Nepal, Pakistan, China..etc. However most of India's strategic advantage is about geography - we have higher peaks on our side overlooking roads. So it's kinda advantageous to have nobody poking here.

Nanda Devi could be the "Devil's Tower gas leak" of India's nuclear deterrence towards China.

India has a pretty awesome mountain climbing culture and a huge tourism industry (fueled by the best weed in the world).

You can climb everywhere...except Nanda Devi.