From global warming to increasing number of mountaineers, Nepal’s Himalayas particularly Mt. Everest is under a threat. As the number of mountaineer increases, the volume of uncollected garbage.
Realizing the need to clean up the garbage and waste, Nepal Investment Bank Ltd (NIBL), Nepal’s leading bank, funded a project Extreme Everest Expedition 2010 (E.E.E.) which has successfully completed its goal of cleaning-up garbage from above 8,000 meters on Mount Everest, in the region commonly referred to as the ‘Death Zone’.
“We are proud to organize this program which helped to clean-up tons of wastes,” said Prithivi Bahadur Pande, Chairman and Chief Executive Director of Nepal Investment Bank Ltd. “E.E.E.’s cleaning campaign is only the beginning of an effort to spread awareness on environmental pollution, climate change and the urgent need to clean our planet and the environment around us. With the help of the documentary E.E.E. hopes to take the message forward to the local, national and global level in the coming months. In doing so, E.E.E. also hopes to help promote Nepal tourism year 2011,” said Pande.
A team of 20 Sherpas led by Namgyal Sherpa under the coordination of Chakra Karki set out to Everest Base Camp on the 25th of April 2010 and cleared out 1800 kilos of garbage, equally divided between degradable and non-degradable waste. The waste was piled onto a symbolic ‘Mountain’ at Everest Base Camp. Out of 20 members, 6 members climbed the Everest. The team spent 6.4 million rupees to carry out a month long campaign.
The degradable waste was brought to Namche Bazaar and given to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) - responsible for the disposal of waste in the area. The non-disposable garbage was carried on yak and jopkyo to Lukla airport and flown out to Kathmandu.
According to Press Release of NIBL, EEE 2010 also rescued two bodies - Swiss climber Gianni Goltz, who died last year, and Russian climber Sergey Duganov. Both bodies were successfully brought down from above 8000 meters and helicopter off the mountain from Camp 2.
On the 29th of May, the occasion of International Mount Everest Day – the same day as the world famous Everest Marathon, EEE 2010 coordinated the voluntary carrying of garbage from Everest Base camp. 30 foreign participants and 70 local participants in the Everest Marathon carried token packages of garbage – less than 2 kilos each – on their run from Everest Base Camp to Namche Bazaar – a distance of 42km.
At Namche Bazaar, the volunteers were presented with certificates signed by the then Honorable French Ambassador to Nepal Gilles Henry Garrault and gifted with environmentally friendly clean-up bags made out of jute. Both winners of this year’s marathon - Ang Futi Sherpa, female, and Phurba Tamang, male - carried garbage with them.
Record-winning three-time champion of the Everest Marathon, Hari Roka, carried four packages of garbage from EBC to Namche Bazaar. "It is essential that our mountain should be kept clean and not dirtied by visitors." – he said. This was the first time the runner from western Jumla had participated in such a collaborative clean-up event.
"We are very happy to see our dream materialize, something we never thought would happen. The volunteers carried almost 200 kilos of garbage down with them. Everyone was so sincere about their contribution." said Namgyal Sherpa
"May 29th is a historic day, and to think that we have shown our respects to two people we have the utmost admiration for, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, by maintaining the sanctity of our mountain is heartening," said Chakra Karki.
Addressing the concluding program, minister of Culture, Parliamentary Affairs and Constituent Assembly Minendra Rijal thanked NIBL for taking a lead in such an important campaign. “Launching the campaign, NIBL showed that it also wants to involve in such social work,” said Rijal.
Former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa discussed the plight faced by the Himalayas due to the climate change. Similarly, tourism Entrepreneur Yogendra Shakya and industrialist Shekhar Golchha also highlighted the importance of the program.
Extreme Everest Expedition was documented by its team - who in addition to climbing and cleaning above 8000 meters - also shot their endeavors with 6 specially engineered high-definition cameras on the mountain. They came down with over 33 hours of footage. The feature documentary chronicling their efforts is currently in post-production and will premiere first in Kathmandu in a 7-day theatrical release in the Jai Nepal cinema hall this December.
Along with NIBL, the other groups include Hulas Steel Industries Limited, Nepal Mountain Association, The Himalayan Times, Hotel Association Nepal, Surya Nepal, Everest Insurance, Ace Development Bank, Be Human Nepal, Chaudhary Group, The North Face, Himalayan Paint House, and Friends of the Himalayas.
No comments:
Post a Comment