To date, the municipality has invested Rs800,000 in testing Chinese drones to remove trash off Everest slopes.

The DJI FlyCart 30 demonstrated its capacity to transport 234 kg per hour in a flight test, equivalent to the work of 14 porters in six hours.

In the fall, Nepal plans to use heavy lifter drones to move trash from Ama Dablam, a peak 6,812 meters south of Everest. This will be the first time an unmanned aerial vehicle is used for commercial purposes in Nepal's high-altitude region.

The heavy lifter from Da Jiang Innovations (DJI), the largest drone manufacturer in China, will perform duties that have historically been performed by Sherpas. Authorities think it will contribute to fewer deaths on Mount Everest.

Then, DJI drones—which have a sound like a swarm of bees—will be used on Everest throughout the spring, which runs from March to May.

In order to provide ropes and ladders for route preparation and to transport trash to the 5,364-meter Everest base camp, it will take off for Camp I (5,943 meters).

A tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Sunday by the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, and Airlift Technology Pvt Ltd to utilize cutting-edge drone technology to effectively manage waste in the Khumbu region's mountains.

The world's first drone delivery test was carried out on Mount Everest in April by Chinese drone manufacturer DJI.

"We intend to use drones commercially in the Everest region after a successful test in April," stated Jagat Bhusal, chief administrative officer of the remote municipality that houses Everest.

As US politicians work to outlaw Chinese drones, tensions are rising between the two biggest trading partners in the world—China and the US—and drone producer DJI.

On the other hand, mountaineers and Nepali officials view the drone as a life-saving tool.

On Everest, supplies are traditionally transported and rubbish is removed by native Sherpa guides. During the season, they could have to traverse the icefall more than thirty times in order to carry supplies like food, ropes, tents, oxygen bottles, and gas canisters.

The icefall on the path to the highest mountain in the world must be traversed by all climbers and guides. When the sun is shining, even seasoned Sherpas are reluctant to get near the icefall due to its infamously high risk.

Climbers typically traverse the kilometre-long Khumbu Icefall at night or in the early morning, with headlamps mounted on their helmets.

Early in the morning, when avalanche dangers are minimal and ice blocks and hanging glaciers are stable, is when the path is typically traversed.

Avalanches become more likely during the day when the sun warms the mountain, melting the hanging glaciers and causing ice to fracture.

Drone use, said to Bhusal, "will help us avoid the dangers in the Khumbu Icefall."

Expeditions for the 2014 season were subsequently canceled when an avalanche caused by a falling serac buried sixteen Sherpa guides in the Khumbu Icefall on April 18, 2014.

Three Sherpa guides who had been called upon to clear the paths the previous year were buried beneath the ice masses caused by an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall. Their bodies have not yet been found.

Based on government statistics and the Himalayan Database, around fifty people perished on the icefall between 1953 and 2023.

It takes six hours to ascend from Everest Base Camp to Camp I. The route's most dangerous section, the Khumbu Icefall, is located between these two camps.

It takes four hours to get from Camp I to Camp II (6,400 meters), which is the most thrilling and straightforward portion of the trek.

In the mountains, there are limitations on how much you can carry.

Workers who are ascending high elevations are prohibited by government regulations from carrying loads that weigh more than 20 kg between 5,000 and 6,000 meters, 17 kg between 6,001 and 7,000 meters, 14 kg between 7,001 and 8,000 meters, and 12 kg above 8,000 meters.

Indeed, there are worries that jobs could be lost to the machines. However, Bhusal stated, "Our only goal is to lessen the possibility of fatalities in the danger zone, the Khumbu Icefall."

Drone operators are unable to do jobs at the upper camps, so we will train Sherpas instead. All labor will be done by Sherpas in the future.

During testing, the drone was able to lift thirty kg from Camp I. But from Camp II, its performance decreased to 18 kg.

"We will shortly sign a commercial agreement with the drone supplier based on the MoU framework," Bhusal stated. "Everything will be observed by the municipality."

The trial has cost the municipality Rs 800,000 thus far.

More trash and bodies that have been hidden on Everest for decades are becoming visible as a result of climate change melting snow and ice. Every resident of the Everest watershed is at serious danger for health problems as a result of this trash, which also pollutes the ecosystem.

During this spring climbing season, about 100 tonnes of waste were collected from Everest and Lhotse, which have the same base camp.

The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) reports that during the spring 2024 climbing season, 77.19 tons of garbage were collected from the Everest base camp alone. Over 85 tonnes of garbage were collected this spring by the SPCC, with 8–9 tonnes originating from the higher sites that the expedition agencies hauled down.

Burnable waste (27.99 tonnes), recyclable waste (7.51 tonnes), human waste (27.53 tonnes), and kitchen waste (14.15 tonnes) make up the breakdown of the waste that was collected. Additionally, the Nepal Army gathered more than 11 tonnes of trash.

The SPCC handled about 70 tonnes of garbage from expedition groups in the spring of 2023.

According to insiders, the Everest Base Camp has grown increasingly opulent, which has resulted in a buildup of people and trash. Every year, around 60,000 hikers reach the Base Camp.

The 8 kg waste regulation, which requires climbers leaving the Everest base camp to return with at least 8 kg of trash, has been enforced by the SPCC since 2015. A $4,000 trash deposit is also required of Everest visitors, although it is repaid if they return with 8 kg of trash.

The government was directed by a mandamus ruling granted by the Supreme Court prior to the climbing season this year to control the increasing number of expeditions on the highest mountain in the world.

The court decision was issued in response to the "world's highest garbage dump," Everest, which has been dubbed, as well as regular traffic delays and rising trash levels.

Following the April test, Cai Yong, a senior engineer at East China Normal University, told Xinhua, the official news agency of China, "Drones can replace helicopters as a relatively low-risk transport vehicle to supplement supplies on the plateau, which will greatly expand the application space of UAVs."

According to Jin Wei, deputy secretary-general of the China UAV Industry Innovation Alliance, more electric drones have been used in forestry, emergency rescue, power line inspection, logistics, and agriculture in recent years. Each advancement in this field will help preserve human and material resources while ensuring the security of people and property.

During the April tests, the DJI FlyCart 30 was utilized to transport trash down the return flight and fly three oxygen bottles and 1.5 kg of additional supplies from base camp to Camp I on the highest peak in the globe.

The DJI FlyCart 30 tested at altitudes up to 6,191.8 meters on Mount Everest, which is located on the border between China and Nepal.