Nepal to Deploy Heavy-Lifter Drones for High-Altitude Garbage Collection
In a groundbreaking initiative, Nepal will deploy heavy-lifter drones to transport garbage from Ama Dablam (6,812 meters) and later from Everest. This marks the first commercial use of drones in Nepal’s high-altitude zones. The drones, manufactured by Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) of China, will take over tasks traditionally done by Sherpas, aiming to reduce casualties on Everest. A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, and Airlift Technology Pvt Ltd to implement this advanced drone technology for efficient garbage management in the Khumbu region. In April, DJI successfully tested its FlyCart 30 drone on Everest, demonstrating its capability to airlift 234 kg per hour between Camp I and Base Camp—a task that typically requires 14 porters working for six hours. Although there are concerns about potential job loss for Sherpas, officials highlight the drones' role in mitigating risks ...