To avoid overcrowding of Mt Everest, Nepal to restrict number of mountaineers

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The Nepali government has implemented a quota system for mountaineers to climb Mt. Everest aimed at preventing overcrowding on the world's tallest peak.</p>
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As per the new rules enforced on Wednesday, the Nepali government has introduced a "first come, first ascent" policy, allowing certain groups of mountaineers who had received climbing permits first to summit the mountain in the first weather window, Xinhua news agency reported.</p>
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Similarly, other groups are allowed to climb the mountain in other positive weather windows.</p>
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"If this policy leads to an unmanageable situation, expedition organisers are allowed to arrange expeditions of maximum 170 individuals in each positive weather window through coordination among themselves," states rules.</p>
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Positive weather windows remain limited as the mountaineers seek to scale the 8848.86-metre tall mountains as early as possible.</p>
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The Nepali government's move has come amid intense scrutiny over a reported traffic jam on Mt. Everest in 2019 when a record 644 mountaineers, including 280 foreigner mountaineers, stepped onto the top of the world.</p>
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Nepal's Tourism Department has however been rejecting the idea that there had ever been a traffic jam and that overcrowding caused deaths of climbers.</p>
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Mira Acharya, director at the mountaineering section of the department, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the rules were enforced to ensure proper management of expeditions.</p>
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"It is not guided by the assumption that there had been traffic jams in the past," she said.</p>
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Meanwhile, any tourist who has returned from mountaineering of one mountain and wants to climb another mountain can get a climbing permit only after he or she has tested negative for the coronavirus with another Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).</p>
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<em><strong>(IANS)</strong></em></p>
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