The Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021, a Nepal government programme coordinated by the Nepali Army has successfully concluded the halfway mark of waste collection from all six mountains including Mt Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Pumori and Ama Dablam. The team consists of a total of 112 members comprising of experienced Sherpas as supporters and the Nepali Army.
The campaign formally commenced on April 13 and has so far collected 21,167 kg of waste from the six mountains, which includes 1,868 kg of bio-degradable and 19,299 kg of non-bio-degradable waste. The waste collected by the team includes discarded empty oxygen canisters, abandoned tents, food containers, plastic, glass, aluminium and electronic items, among others.
Furthermore, the wreckage of a helicopter with call sign 9N-ACR and two human remains with mountaineering gears from two different locations were also retrieved by Dhaulagiri team and further investigation has been initiated for the identification and management of the dead.
Speaking on the ongoing clean-up campaign, Lt Col Dipak Bhandari, Media Coordinator, Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2021, shared, “The teams deployed in the campaign with the objective of cleaning the six mountains are dedicatedly collecting waste materials in close coordination with the local government. The journey in the mountains is definitely strenuous and at the same time, our team is humbled to be part of the noble campaign and determined to retrieve as much waste as we can.”
The Mountain Cleaning Campaign is aimed at conserving the nature and environment of the Himalayas and minimising the effects of climate change by cleaning up the targeted six mountains. The teams are working in close coordination with the local government, local stakeholders and all the concerned partners. Upon completion of the waste collection activities, the waste collected will be handed over to the recycling partner for further recycling.
Dhananjay Regmi, CEO of the Nepal Tourism Board, said, “Climbing mountains is one of the greatest sports for many Nepalis and foreigners and many have conquered them. At the same time, it is our responsibility to honour and preserve the Himalayas for our future generations. It is very humbling to see the Nepal government, Nepali Army and so many other private partners come together and strive to protect the Himalayas.”
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