May 17, Kathmandu- Nepal Army has successfully completed the halfway mark of garbage collection from six Himalayas including Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Pumori, and Amadablam through Nepal Army's Safa Himal Abhiyan 2021 program.

The team has 112 experienced Sherpas as supporters and the Nepal Army. The campaign was formally launched on April 13, 2021, and so far 21,167 kilograms of garbage has been collected from six Himalayas.

These include 1,868 kg of bio-degradable waste and 19,299 kg of non-degradable waste.

Garbage collected by the team includes discarded oxygen tanks, discarded tents, food containers, plastic, glass, aluminum, electronic waste.

Apart from this, the Dhaulagiri team has also retrieved two human remains including a helicopter with NACR number and mountaineering gear from two different places.

Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Bhandari, the Media Coordinator of the Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2078, said, “The teams deployed in the campaign to clean up six mountains have been collecting garbage with dedication in close coordination with the local government.

The journey to the Himalayas is certainly difficult and at the same time our team is humbled to be a part of this great expedition and we are determined to pick up as much garbage as possible.

The goal of the Clean Mountain Campaign is to reduce the impact of climate change by cleaning up six mountains by conserving nature and the environment.

The teams have been working in close coordination with the local government, local stakeholders, and all concerned partners. After the completion of garbage collection activities, the collected garbage will be handed over to the recycling partner for further recycling.

Nepal Tourism Board CEO Dr. Dhananjay Regmi said, “Mountaineering is a great sport for many Nepalis and foreigners and many have won it. At the same time, we have a responsibility to respect and protect the Himalayas for future generations. It is gratifying to see the Government of Nepal, the Nepal Army, and many other private partners come together for the security of the Himalayas. ”