KATHMANDU, April 10: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli bid farewell to a four-member team who are heading to the Everest Base Camp to measure the height of the world's highest peak.
The team, led by officer Khimlal Gautam, commissioned by the Survey Department, will scale Everest following two years of preparations, including collecting readings from the ground and training for extreme conditions.
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Since the Indian survey of 1954, Everest's official height is 29,029 feet.
"Measuring the height of Everest is an arduous task. Hence, I urge you to take care of weather conditions and listen to the guides," Oli said. On February 27, an Air Dynasty helicopter carrying Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari crashed near Pathibhara of Taplelung killing all on board. The incident took place after ignoring weather conditions.
According to Padma Aryal, the minister for Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty Reduction, this is the first time that a survey team has been deployed to measure the height of Everest.
