On May 29, 1953, at 11.30 am, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay from Nepal and Kiwi mountaineer Edmund Hilary scaled the highest peak on Earth and spent 15 minutes atop.
The duo's historic ascent of the Mount Everest, 70 years on, remains path-breaking and inspiring for generations. But the feat itself has been rendered routine by the sheer scale of statistics. Consider this: According to the latest available data, as of January this year, 6,338 individuals have summitted the Everest.
As the mountaineering community prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Norgay and Hilary's summit, there is growing concern about rising temperatures, melting glaciers and snow, and a more fickle yet harsher weather on the world's tallest mountain.
Mine Islar, senior lecturer at the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies in Sweden and a researcher the Himalayas, said in a paper this year that it would be possible for local communities and tourists to scale the Everest for another 70 years, but not in the same way - that is through the ice. In the present and immediate future, due to glacial melting the route could become unstable and alternatives may have to be arranged.
"Tourism, livelihoods, infrastructure, energy and water supply are under threat as climate change accelerates glacial retreat," Islar said.
This story is from the May 27, 2023 edition of Business Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 27, 2023 edition of Business Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Army becoming self-reliant in weapon production: Pande
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande on Tuesday stated that the Indian Army is changing from being a buyer of weapons to becoming a partner of Indian industry in development and production.
India bore climate change brunt in '23
Asia remained world's most disaster-prone region from weather and water-related hazards last year: WMO
Review portfolio holdings before choosing a credit risk fund
Only investors with high risk appetite should opt for them; limit allocation to 5-10%
Strong signal for telecom sector after successful Vi FPO
The success of the massive Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) follow-on public offering (FPO), which raised ₹18,000 crore, coupled with a subscription of fresh equity worth ₹2,075 crore by an Aditya Birla group company, has triggered some optimism for the telecom sector.
MFs offload PSB stocks, bet big on private banks
Pulled out ₹2,500 crore in March from state-owned lenders
Adani stocks now have prominent investor base
Sebi questions global funds on Adani 'stocks manipulation'
Jane Street saga echoes another warning for retail option traders
A 'secret' strategy used by US-based hedge fund Jane Street helped it earn over $1 billion last year in options At the losing end for most of these trades were Indian retail investors.
Cong wanted to give SC, ST quota to Muslims: PM
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Tuesday Modi on said the Congress had designs to provide reservations to Muslims from the quotas earmarked for the Scheduled Castes (SCS) and Scheduled Tribes (STS), and reiterated that the Opposition party has hatched a \"deep conspiracy\" to \"X-ray\" and snatch people's wealth and distribute it among a \"select\" group.
Firms must repair worn-out products, rule EU lawmakers
The European Parliament approved rules on Tuesday to give consumers the right to have worn-out products like washing machines and smartphones repaired by producers, to cut waste and make goods last longer.
Over 200 quakes shake Taiwan; no impact on operations, says TSMC
Taiwan's quake-hit eastern county of Hualien was rattled by more than 200 aftershocks late on Monday and early on Tuesday, but only minor damage was reported and no casualties and major chipmaker TSMC said it saw no impact on operations.
