KATHMANDU: The Nepali Army has gathered 11 metric tons of garbage, four dead bodies, and one human skeleton from various mountains as part of the 'Clean Mountains Campaign' initiated in 2019. Sanjay Deuja, Assistant Director of the National Parks and Wildlife Reserve Directorate, reported that 11,000 kilograms of waste were collected from Mount Everest, Mt Lhotse, and Mt Nuptse. This included 2,226 kilograms of biodegradable waste and 8,774 kilograms of non-biodegradable waste.

The biodegradable waste was handed over to the Everest Pollution Control Committee in Namche, while the non-biodegradable waste was transported to Kathmandu and given to a recycling company. The human bodies and skeleton discovered were sent to TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for proper disposal after completing necessary legal procedures. The 55-day cleaning campaign began on April 1, and the team also managed to climb Mount Everest during this period.

Over the past five years, the 'Clean Mountains Campaign' has successfully removed 12 dead bodies and 180 metric tons of garbage from major mountains, including Everest. The campaign highlights the ongoing efforts to address pollution in the Himalayas and preserve the natural environment.