Mountain clean-up campaign led by Nepali Army in its halfway mark

KATHMANDU: The Mountain Clean-up Campaign 2022, led by Nepali Army has successfully concluded the halfway mark of waste collection from four mountains — Mt Everest, Mt Lhotse, Mt Manaslu and Mt Kanchenjunga. Various organisations have joined hands for the noble cause, with Coca-Cola Foundation as the major corporate partner for the campaign. The campaign expediting team comprises a total of 77 dedicated members which includes Nepali Army personnel and Sherpa supporters. Around 1,100 climbers visit these four mountains annually which are above 8,000 metres and unfortunately, they leave behind waste which has created waste management problems in the mountains. To tackle this problem, the mountain clean-up campaign commenced on April 5 and has so far collected 29,998 kilogrammes (kg) (5,204kg of biodegradable and 24,794kg of non-biodegradable) waste from the four mountains. The collected wastes include discarded empty oxygen canisters, abandoned tents, food containers, plastics, glass, aluminium, and electronic wastes among others. The team has carried on with collecting wastes and aims to collect around 35,000kg of waste from the Himalayas. The director of the ongoing clean-up campaign shared, “The journey to the mountains has been challenging due to adverse weather conditions, injuries and high-risk situations. Keeping the safety of our expedition team members as a top priority, we are pleased to come so far in our journey and will be giving our best to safely and successfully complete the campaign.” The campaign is one of the largest mountain clean-ups in the world, an initiative led by NA and a diverse set of stakeholders. This is the third edition of the clean-up campaign and the Coca-Cola Foundation has been a major partner of the campaign for three consecutive years. The campaign aims at the conservation of nature and the environment of the Himalayas and to minimize the effects of climate change by cleaning up the targeted four mountains. The theme for the campaign this year is “An endeavour to save the Himalayas; Our Mountains, Our Responsibility”. 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 collected wastes will be handed over to the recycling partner. The campaign will draw to a close on June 5 coinciding with World Environment Day. The Coca-Cola Foundation, established in 1984, has invested more than $1.2 billion around the world to protect the environment, empower women to thrive and enhance the overall well-being of people and communities. READ ALSO:

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