All together 394 climbers who attempted to scale Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse and Mt Nuptse in the region left up to 25.6 metric tonnes of burnable waste and 2,241 non-burnable pieces, including bottles, tins, gas containers and batteries were left in 2013, according to the latest report of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPC).
The Committee said 597 climbers had left behind 28.9 metric tonnes and 3,551 pieces of burnable and non-burnable waste, respectively, in the Everest region in 2012.
“SPCC has been strengthening community participation in waste management, increasing public
awareness in this regard,” SPCC Chairman Ang Dorjee Sherpa was quoted by thehimalayantimes daily.
Any expedition team planning to scale Everest should submit burnable and non-burnable litter to at SPCC office to obtain a garbage clearance certificate which is essential to obtain waste deposit fund from the Tourism Ministry.
Since scores of mountaineers quit their expedition bid following April 18 deadly ever avalanche, authorities are in dilemma on how to pay back the Mt Everest waste deposit to the mountaineers.
SPCC, which looks after the efforts on waste and management in Everest region said it would provide the report to the concerned stakeholders, thus they would be well aware about the pollution on the roof of the world.
In the meantime, More than 10 million was spent to manage waste on the trekking trails and camp sites in the last fiscal year.