In a stringent move China has planned to ban all polluting vehicles around the world’s highest mountain peak Everest’s base camp in Tibet starting from next year.It is part of its effort to preserve the sensitive ecology and reduce the pollution level in that environment.
Banning of tourist vehicles from the base camp those do not meet the anti-pollution norms and permitting electric gulf-style buggies are priority action plans. Simultaneously it will open the door for employment of locals and help reducing pollution level.Locals those below poverty line will get an opportunity to work as tourist guides and driver of new electric vehicles to transport the tourists to and from the camp.
Wangqiong, the deputy chief of Tingri Tibetan County briefed that the Mt Everest area has a fragile ecology and a limited capacity to process the trash and sewage generated by tourists visiting the sights.So the issue needs to be taken care of very cautiously.He further added that a professional cleaning company has been assigned the job to maintain the region and tourists visiting will be provided with trash bags to aid the clean-up.
As reported by a state-run news daily, about a lakh tourists comprising of 40,000 mountaineers and trekkers visited the Everest region in 2017. About 2.26 tons of human waste, one ton of mountaineering trash and 5.24 tons of household waste have been removed from the world’s highest peak since April. Further eight tons of trash was also removed between 5,200 meters and 6,500 meters above the sea level,it said.
