Fifty eight years has passed since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hilary conquered Everest. Thousands have reached the peak since. Conquering the highest peak in the world is a dream of all daring mountaineers. With different world records, Everest has attracted a lot of summiteers in recent times.

Everest raises Rs 2.5 billions in revenue yearly for the government. The contribution it makes to the economy of the nation can hardly be overstated.

A recent study put Everest region as the fourth best destination in the world. Every year over 30 thousand tourists visit this area, many of them specifically to ascend to the summit. But, the rise in temperature worldwide, in recent times combined with the human encroachment has taken a toll on it. Global warming is causing the Everest snow to melt and the waste piling up due to irresponsibility of the climbers and their support teams is making Everest uninviting.

As a result of awareness campaigns, climbers and their support teams have started bringing back the waste , but there are trashes that has been piling up for years. This has not only made the mountain unattractive but has polluted the Everest region and contributed to raising global temperature. It is also assumed that the bodies of estimated 150 climbers who died on their way to the summit are still in the area.

The government is happy to get royalty paid by the climbers but has done nothing for its improvement, cleanliness and management. If the government wants to save Everest for the future generation, it has to urgently introduce and implement eco- friendly expedition policies.

We can not just make Everest a source of revenue, we should also shift our focus to conserving it. Immediate attention is imperative.

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