The Department of Tourism has established a temporary field office at the base camp of Mount Everest to better organize and regulate this year's spring climbing season.

The Department’s Director Leeladhar Awasthi said the office has been set up to facilitate coordination and ensure the safety of climbers during the busy season. This is the second consecutive year the department has operated such an office specifically for the spring climbing period.

According to Awasthi, the field office will handle tasks such as permit approval and verification, climber reporting, regulation enforcement, emergency coordination, waste management inspection, and dispute resolution. The government has also assigned a liaison officer to each climbing group for effective communication and oversight.

The base camp office will be staffed by five liaison officers—two from the Department of Tourism, with additional representatives from the Nepal Mountaineering Association and the Everest Pollution Control Committee. The Himalayan Rescue Association will also operate a health camp at the site, offering first aid and medical assistance.

As of now, the department has issued permits to 374 individuals representing 37 climbing groups for climbing Mount Everest. The government has collected Rs 640 million in royalties from expeditions across various mountains, with Rs 550 million generated from Everest alone. -- RSS