KATHMANDU, APRIL 26
The Nimsdai Foundation and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality are teaming up to construct a porter house in Lobuche, as part of the Lobuche Porter's Accommodation project. This collaborative effort aims to address the pressing need for proper lodging for porters in the area.
The project, estimated to cost NPR 6,39,94,193.84, aims to benefit 4,640 porters. Nimsdai Foundation will contribute 96.6% of the project cost, with the local government pitching in 3.4%.
Lobuche, nestled in the Khumbu region of Solukhumbu district, sits at an elevation of approximately 4,940m above sea level. It serves as a pivotal rest stop for trekkers and climbers en route to Everest Base Camp and other high-altitude destinations in the Everest Region.
Despite offering basic lodging facilities in tea houses and guest houses, Lobuche faces overcrowding during peak seasons, leaving trekkers and porters without adequate accommodation. This situation poses risks to the porters' safety, well-being, hygiene, and fair treatment, according to project information.
Porters often find themselves without proper accommodation, resorting to sleeping in dining halls, on floors, or in storage areas. When hotels reach full capacity, porters are compelled to retreat to Pheriche or even Dingboche, only to return to Lobuche early the next morning to fulfill their duties, resulting in compromised performance and additional expenses.
"Due to limited private land in Lobuche, the hotel owners can't expand their business with better facilities for porter's. The land belongs to the buffer zone and Local government but they don't have such funds for the project which led injustice to porters and always remains a big agenda in every meeting of Rural Municipality. In collaboration of Local Government and NIMSDAI Foundation, a better porter's accommodation with basic facilities will be established supporting the porters who are the "unsung heroes of the mountains," the project said.
According to project estimates, out of the 58,000 trekkers visiting the Khumbu Region annually, 46,400 (80%) choose the Everest route, resulting in 23,200 porters (one porter for every two trekkers) traveling to Lobuche each year. Considering that porters often repeat the journey as many as five times, a minimum of 4,640 porters stand to benefit from this initiative.
