It has been 70 years since Mount Everest's greatest milestone made history. Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a sherpa from Nepal, accomplished the ascent of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, for the very first time. Soon after, they became inspirations for many and household names too. Together, they created history by stepping foot on a terrain that was never visited by humans before. This was a remarkable achievement in mountaineering history. Many decades ago and only post this achievement, did the paths to this peak open up to mountaineering enthusiasts.
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Mount Everest
The climb to the Everest Summit is notably dangerous. Among the thousands of climbers who've attempted to reach the summit, many have lost their lives. The major challenges in climbing Everest are the unpredictable weather conditions, avalanches, and lower oxygen due to high altitudes, to name a few. Despite these unpredictable conditions, many attempt this remarkable feat taking one of the world's greatest mountaineering challenges in their stride.
However, as the number of trekkers has increased over the years, so has the trash pile-up in the area threatening the environment and also giving Everest the infamous title of the World's Highest Garbage Dump. Not too far below, The Sagarmatha National Park, home to Mount Everest, was created in 1976 to protect the mountain and its wildlife. It was granted UNESCO World Heritage status three years later. Now the park receives around 100,000 visitors each year, and needless to say, the overcrowding has led to increased in strain on the area's ecology.
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Mountaineers at Mt.Everest
According to videos shared by Supriya Sahu, an IAS officer, garbage and plastic waste is seen thrown at a camp on Mount Everest. The video appears to have been taken by one of the mountaineers who described the camp's location as "dirty."
The caption to the video reads "When human beings don't spare even Mount Everest from dumping their garbage and plastic pollution. Truly heartbreaking. #stopplasticpollution #MountEverest #everest video by @EverestToday,"
When human beings don't spare even Mount Everest from dumping their garbage and plastic pollution. Truly heartbreaking. #stopplasticpollution#MountEverest#everest video by @EverestTodaypic.twitter.com/zuuorrkADF
ADVERTISEMENT— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) May 29, 2023
Due to the increased number of mountaineers who visit the Everest Base Camp and ascend the mountain, there has been an increase in the commercialisation and production of plastic waste and garbage. Sadly, the brunt is borne by natural wonders like Everest. Added to that global warming, another concern created by humans' indiscriminate use of natural resources, has seen the snow beds at these popular sites are also reducing.
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