Reports indicate that the Nepalese army has cleared eleven tonnes of rubbish from the Himalayan peaks in recent months. Additionally, the army recovered four corpses and one skeleton from Mount Everest and two other Himalayan peaks this year.
Waste on Himalayan peaks
According to a BBC report, Nepalese troops removed this waste and the bodies from Everest, Nuptse, and Lhotse mountains over a span of 55 days. Despite removing eleven tonnes of waste, it is estimated that more than fifty tonnes of waste and over 200 bodies still remain on Everest, often referred to as the ‘world’s highest garbage dump’.
Himalayan clean-up operation
The army initiated its annual mountain clean-up in 2019, driven by concerns over overcrowding and the hazardous conditions climbers face to reach the summit. So far, these efforts have collected 119 tonnes of rubbish, 14 human corpses, and some skeletons.
This year, to minimize rubbish and improve rescue operations, authorities required climbers to wear tracking devices and to bring back their waste.
Moreover, the government plans to establish a team of mountain rangers to monitor rubbish and allocate more funds for its collection, stated Rakesh Gurung, director of mountaineering at Nepal’s Department of Tourism, in a conversation with the BBC.
Gurung noted that the reduced number of permits this year was influenced by the global economic situation, China also issuing permits, and the national election in India decreasing the number of climbers from that country.
Permit numbers are expected to drop further as Nepal’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to limit permits. However, it is not clear by how much the permits will be reduced since the preliminary order did not specify a maximum number.
Gurung welcomed the order, adding that the government is considering reforms such as staggering climbers to alleviate summit traffic jams. The government will collaborate with experts to determine a safe number of climbers, he said.
For the spring climbing season that ended in May, the government issued permits to 421 climbers, down from a record 478 last year. Including Nepalese guides, around 600 people climbed the mountain this year.
Sadly, eight climbers died or went missing, compared to 19 last year. Among those missing are Brit Daniel Paterson and his Nepalese guide Pastenji Sherpa, who were struck by falling ice on May 21. Paterson’s family attempted to raise funds for a search team but later reported that recovery “is not possible at this time.”