Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak visited the Everest Base Camp in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-4 on Saturday to assess the situation of climbers and review security arrangements during the peak tourism season.
During his inspection, Minister Lekhak emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring a conducive environment for helicopter operations to support rescue missions, mountaineering assistance, and tourist convenience in the Everest region. He highlighted the critical role of helicopters in rescuing physically weak or injured tourists, stating that government policies would focus on streamlining and coordinating such services.
“The government is working on people-centric policies to promote tourism in the Everest region,” Lekhak said. “We are not looking to ban rescue helicopter flights but to regulate unplanned and unnecessary flights.”
Local communities in the Everest region have long demanded restrictions on non-rescue helicopter flights, citing misuse. Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality has repeatedly urged authorities to halt regular helicopter operations. However, tourism entrepreneurs argue that excessive restrictions on helicopter flights negatively impact their businesses and have called for regulated freedom.
In an interaction program, Minister Lekhak noted that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is aware of the issues in the Everest region. He added that the government is conducting the “Everest Dialogue” program to address these challenges and find solutions.
