KATHMANDU: Every climber on Mt Ama Dablam must bring back at least three kilogrammes of waste from above base camp under waste-management rules issued by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC).

The rules require expedition teams to segregate waste into plastic, paper and cardboard, tins and cans, glass bottles, organic kitchen waste, and hazardous materials such as batteries and medicines.

SPCC staff will inspect and verify the waste brought down by climbers at the high-camp entry point above Ama Dablam Base Camp. Expedition teams must also ensure that all higher camps are completely cleaned before leaving the mountain.

The guidelines set separate requirements for human waste. Climbers must use portable barrels at base camp and only the poop bags provided by SPCC above base camp. At base camp, urination is restricted to locations designated by individual expedition teams.

After completing their expeditions, all teams must obtain a waste-management receipt from SPCC staff and submit it to the committee’s office in Namche Bazaar.

Tshering Sherpa, SPCC chief executive officer, said the measures were intended to ensure proper waste management on the mountain. More than 200 foreign climbers are attempting Ama Dablam this autumn, increasing the need for effective waste collection and disposal.

SPCC has also provided a contact point at Ama Dablam Base Camp on radio frequency 431.430 MHz and WhatsApp at 9749403215 for waste-management coordination.