China to ban 'eco-unfriendly' tourist vehicles near Mt. Everest base-camp
China is planning to ban polluting tourist vehicles at the Mount Everest base camp in Tibet from next year as part of its efforts to reduce pollution in the area that has a fragile environment. Eco-unfriendly tourist transport vehicles will be banned from base camp and will permit electric golf-style buggies to raise the income of the locals, Chinese media reported. Here's more.
New buggies will provide employment to below poverty line locals
Locals, who live below the poverty line, will be employed as tour guides and drivers of new electric golf-style buggies. The deputy head of Tingri Tibetan county, Wangqiong said, "It'll help reduce pollution in the area and raise the income of locals." "The natural conditions of this area have limited processing capabilities of trash and sewage, which must be handled very carefully," he said.
Visitors will now be given trash bags to promote cleanup
Wangqiong said that a professional cleaning company has been hired to maintain the area and every visitor will receive trash bags to promote cleanup. More than 100,000 people visited the Everest Base Camp in 2017, media reported. Some 2.26 tons of human waste, one ton of mountaineering trash, and 5.24 tons of household waste have been removed from the world's highest peak since April.
