'Nepal government urged to limit climbing permissions to Everest'

A British mountaineer has urged Nepal to limit the permits to scale the Mount Everest, keeping in view the carrying capacity of the mountain that saw 11 deaths this climbing season, the deadliest since 2015.

Doug Scott, who has made 45 expeditions to the high mountains of Asia, warned that the Himalayas is no more a place for peace and solitude.

"Limitation should be imposed in issuing permission for mountaineers keeping in view the carrying capacity of the mountains," he said at the opening of the third-edition of Himalayan Travel Mart 2019, a four-day event to promote Nepal as the gateway to the Himalayas and centre for adventure tourism.

Scott, a veteran climber, has reached the summit of 40 peaks. Apart from his climb up the South West Face of Everest in 1975, he has made all his climbs in lightweight or Alpine Style, without the use of artificial oxygen. 

Scott's request to the Nepal government came after the Himalayan nation this year witnessed 11 deaths, the highest in four years. Four Indian climbers were among the 11 deaths at the Mount Everest this season.   

Following this, there is a ragging debate wether Nepal should limit the permits to prevent dangerous overcrowding on the 8,848-metres Mount Everest.

Nepal issued a record 381 permits costing USD 11,000 each for the current spring climbing season. It opened the climbing route to the world's highest peak on May 14.

Nepal authorities recently removed a total of 11,000 kg garbage and four dead bodies during a two-month long cleanliness drive from the mountain and below the used by the climbers. 

The garbage, which included empty oxygen cylinders, plastic bottles, cans, batteries, food wrappings, faecal matter and kitchen waste, was flown to Kathmandu in army helicopters from the Everest base camp