Stakeholders yet to submit autumn season’s report to tourism dept

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 8

Stakeholders of the mountaineering sector are still to submit the search, rescue and medication report of the autumn season to the Department of Tourism (DoT).

Even after DoT issued a warning notice on December 10 urging trekking agencies, airline operators and chopper companies, hospitals and medical pharmacies to submit their reports within 15 days, the latter have not complied with the direction yet, informed Mira Acharya, director of Hotel and Mountaineering Division of DoT.

According to her, only four trekking agencies have submitted the reports so far, and while others are in touch with DoT, they are yet to submit the reports. Moreover, not a single hospital involved in medication of rescued mountaineers has come in contact of DoT.

“As per data compiled by DoT, a total of 273 climbers were rescued during the autumn season last year,” she said, “However, we need stakeholders’ reports to determine the exact numbers.”

She further said that the department is preparing to form a committee based on the Tourist Search, Rescue, Medication and Monitoring Guidelines-2018. The government had implemented the guideline from autumn season last year aiming to regulate the mountaineering sector, specifically the search and rescue activities.

“Soon we will form a committee that will conduct enquiries with stakeholders and compile the reports,” she said. “And the committee will decide whether or not to take legal action against the stakeholders who have ignored the rules.”

She, however, said that before forming the committee, the department will send a final warning to the stakeholders seeking clarification on why they have not submitted their reports.

The concerned authorities are supposed to submit the reports within a month after the climbing season ends.

Last year, the autumn season had concluded in November.