International Sagarmatha Day: Former President insists on protecting mountains

Kathmandu: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called attention of the entire bodies concerned to ensure necessary provisions for the safety of climbers and for maintaining purity and cleanliness of the mountains.

In her message of best wishes on the occasion of the 16th International Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) Day here today, the former President said Sagarmatha is facing increasing human pressure with the rise of aspiring climbers across the world.

'I hope this day inspires all of us to keep the aesthetic values of the mountains as invaluable natural heritages unspoilt, and to protect them and promote the cleanliness of mountains through environment conservation, in collaboration with the world community. Mountains are experiencing direct impacts of climate change. Increasing snow melting due to a global temperature rise has turned mountains into "black rocks". The risk for glacier outbursts is high. The change in rainfall pattern, the cases of downpours, reduced rainfall, landslides and floods are the consequences of climate change,' the former head of the state mentioned in the message.

Stating that the historic and maiden ascend of the world's highest peak had set a ground for earning Nepal a global recognition as the 'country of Sagarmatha', she said since then, the peak has been a major destination for an adventurous tourism, contributing to the promotion of domestic tourism industry as well.

Remembering first Nepali female Sagarmatha climber Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the former President extended best wishes to climbers Kami Rita Sherpa, Hari Bahadur Budha Magar and others who have set records in the climbing history.

It may be noted that 29th of May each year is observed as the International Sagarmatha Day since May 27, 2007 in commemoration of the first human ascent of the peak on May 29, 1953 by Nepal's Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary. Seventy years has been completed today since the historic expedition to the world's highest mountain.

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