KATHMANDU, Nepal–The 6th Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal was conferred to Dr Harshwanti Bisht, a Dehradun-based conservationist, for her remarkable service in the conservation of nature in mountainous regions.
The medal, which recognizes Sir Edmund Hillary´s life-long commitment to welfare of mountain people in Khumbu region, was conferred to Dr Bisht by organizing a programme at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu on Monday.
Dr Beau Beza, chairperson of the Hillary Medal Selection Committee (HMSC), awarded the medal to Dr Bisht.
Dr Bisht, an accomplished mountaineer, was a member of an Indian expedition team to Mt Everest in 1984. However, according to HMSC, the decision to award the medal on Dr Bisht is not for her mountaineering feat but her contribution to the conservation of the Gangotri Himalayas.
Dr Bisht who climbed Mt Everest in 1989 has been continuously working to upgrade environmental condition of the Gangotri area of Uttarakhand.
As part of her ´Save Gagotri´ program, tens of thousands of saplings have been planted, endangered medicinal herbs have been propagated and eco-awareness campaigns have been organized.