NAMCHE BAZAAR: The stakeholders today claimed that a month-long cleaning campaign on the world’s highest mountain has concluded successfully collecting over 10,000 kilograms of rubbish from the Mt Everest region.

According to Ang Dorje Sherpa, Chairman at the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, the mega Everest clean-up drive was conducted in coordination with the government and non-government agencies for the first time in the history of Everest climbing.

“At least four dead bodies and the rubbish left behind by the world climbers in the high camps of Mt Everest have also been collected during the campaign,” Sherpa said.

The joint campaign was run by the Nepal Army, different government ministries, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality and Sagarmatha Buffer Zone, among others, he added.

According to Sherpa, different teams spent over a month at the Everest Base Camp, Camp II and Camp IV to collect the garbage. “More than 6,000 kg of waste was collected from the base camp and the high camps,” he said, adding that the local community groups also joined hands to keep the Khumbu region clean.

Pasang Nuru Sherpa, one of the members of the cleaning team, said that it was really a tough task as the team struggled hard to collect trash in the high camps.

Major Dipendra Neupane of Nepal Army said that over Rs 23 million was spent to run the campaign. “The campaign will continue in the coming years.”

During an inspection session organised at Namche Bazaar, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Chief of Army Staff Purna Chandra Thapa, Chief Minister of Province-1 Sherdhan Rai, and Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mohan Krishna Sapkota, among others, vowed to support the campaign in the coming years.