Nepali authorities announced a plan to clean Everest from trash
Nepali authorities have announced the launch of a five-year comprehensive plan to clean Mount Everest — the world's highest mountain, often called one of the most polluted. This was reported by the local publication The Kathmandu Post.
Illustrative photo. Photo: Kraingkrai Thitimakorn / Getty Images
According to the newspaper, the pollution situation is worsened by climate change: due to melting snow and ice, trash that has long been under glaciers, as well as human remains, are emerging to the surface.
This increases the risk of contaminating water bodies and poses a threat to the health of people living downstream.
The program, presented by Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, also includes studying the possibility of relocating the Everest Base Camp. It is currently located on the Khumbu Glacier at an altitude of 5,364 meters and stretches for more than a kilometer. Due to the constant movement and melting of ice, this area becomes particularly unstable, especially during the summer.
During the spring climbing season, the base camp transforms into a densely populated tent city, housing hundreds of climbers and support staff. The use of stoves, heaters, and generators significantly increases the environmental burden.
The head of the Department of Tourism, Himal Gautam, stated that the government intends to assess the possibility of relocating the camp to ensure the sustainability of the mountain range. According to him, the current camp is overcrowded and located in an environmentally vulnerable area.
Previously, Nepal also introduced stricter rules for climbing Everest. The fee for a climbing permit was increased: to $15,000 in the spring season, $7,500 in the autumn, and $3,750 in the winter and monsoon seasons. In addition, there must now be one guide for every two climbers.
The validity period of permits has been reduced from 75 to 55 days. Climbers are now required to use biodegradable bags for trash collection and are prohibited from taking items not specified in official documents.
In the last spring season, 421 climbing permits were issued. About 600 people reached the summit, and about two thousand visited the base camp. Eight climbers died, and all expeditions together left approximately 100 tons of waste.
Comments