Kathmandu: In an effort to address the issue of overcrowding, enhance climber safety, and mitigate ecological imbalance on Mount Everest, the Nepal government has proposed a law to grant permits to climb the world’s highest mountain only to those who have previously scaled at least one 7,000-metre peak within the country.
Everest has faced mounting issues such as pollution and dangerous bottlenecks due to permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to scale the 8,849-metre (29,032 ft) peak.
Last month, the Nepal government proposed the Integrated Tourism Bill in the upper house of the Parliament, which aims to ensure that climbers have adequate high-altitude experience to handle the challenges during the Everest climbing.
The proposed law says that the head of local staff, called the sardar, and the mountain guide accompanying climbers must be Nepali citizens. It also called for mandatory medical check-ups of the climbers.
Nepal's Department of Tourism said a total of 402 climbers from 53 countries, including 74 women, have been granted permission to scale Mount Everest this spring. According to the department, permission has been issued to 41 expeditions so far.
