Nepal to deploy heavy-duty drones to clean up Himalayan mountain tops

Pratap Chakravarty

1 September 2024 at 2:46 am·2-min read

Nepal is set to launch drones to clean up its mountains – including the iconic Mount Everest – littered with trash left behind by climbers jostling to reach the world’s tallest peak.

On 3 August, two Nepalese agencies signed an accord with a private drone provider to kick off the clean-up service on mountains around Mount Everest.

The deal came after a Chinese DJI FlyCart 30 airlifted 234 kilos of cargo in an hour last April, between Everest’s 5364 metre Base Camp and Camp I which lies six kilometres away.

“It would have taken more than a dozen porters six hours to carry out such a task,” an official said of the Flycart, which is fitted with cameras, radar and can airlift up to 30 kilos in a single sortie.

The firm will reportedly provide free drone service for two years, and the machines will ferry supplies to Camp I and fly back with trash.

According to Jagat Prasad Bhusal, administrator of rural municipality where Mount Everest is located, Nepal will send out the drones next month to Mount Ama Dablam.

He added the battle against litterbugs at the popular Ama Dablam mountain was just the beginning.

“After the successful test in April, we [also] plan to use drones commercially in the Everest region,” Bhusal added.

“It’s a test. The success means we will use drones in a full-fledged manner to bring garbage from Camp II, next season,” he said.

“We however have not discussed whether drones can be used to transport supplies and logistics... to reduce casualties on the notorious Khumbu Icefall,” he added.

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