Mon, 6 June 2022
Kathmandu, June 6: The two-month Mountain Clean-up Campaign 2022, undertaken under the leadership of the Nepali Army and in the support of Sherpa mountaineers, formally concluded for this season on Sunday. Organising a special flag-in ceremony at the Nepali Army Headquarters on Sunday, four clean-up teams for four separate mountains (Mt. Everest, for Mt. Kanchanjunga, for Mt. Lhotse and for Mt. Manaslu) announced the end of this season’s clean-up campaign after collecting over 33.87 tonnes of mountain garbage.
Of the total collected wastes, 26,650 kg was non-biodegradable and the rest was biodegradable. The campaign had begun on April 5, 2022.
Addressing the function, Chief guest and Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma said that Nepali Army highly appreciated the professionalism and perseverance shown by the team in spite of difficult and adverse circumstances. Cleaning major mountains measuring above 8,000 metres under the leadership of the Nepali Army would not have been complete without support of the government, Sherpas and private sectors associated with mountaineering sector, CoAS Sharma said. “The outcomes of the efforts made to clean these mountains investing millions of rupees every year could not be seen immediately, thus this is an investment from the government sector for the long run and to our future generation,” CoAS Sharma said. Since 2019, the Nepali Army had been conducting Clean Mountain Campaign. It had collected 10 tonnes in 2019, 21 tonnes in 2021 and this year 33.87 tonnes wastes from different mountains. In 2020, the campaign could not be run due to COVID-19 pandemic.
While collecting solid waste, the team members have also found two human bodies this year, according to coordinator of the Campaign and Director of the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Directorate and Brigadier General Himanshu Khadka.
“Although the campaign is exemplary, the Nepali Army thinks that it would have been better to maintain and keep our mountains clean all the time by introducing specific and practical laws instead of conducting the clean-up campaign every year,” Khadka said.
On the occasion, the Army Chief awarded and honoured various army personnel, Sherpas and members from the private sectors for their contribution to making the campaign a success. The Rising Nepal
जेष्ठ २३ गते, २०७९ मा प्रकाशित
