One of the most popular politicians in the region around Mount Everest is dead. Nim Dorje Sherpa, head of the Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality died of intestinal cancer at the age of only 39 years in his home village of Lukla. Nim Dorje had fought against the disease for ten months, in vain in the end. He leaves behind his wife and three sons.
“His death is an irreparable loss to not only the Sherpa community but also to the entire Solukhumbu district,” Ang Dorje Sherpa, chairman of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) told the “Himalayan Times”. The SPCC takes care of environmental protection in the Everest National Park. Nim Dorje always strived for peace and development believing in teamwork, Ang Dorje added.
Controversial tourist fee
Nim Dorje Sherpa was a young politician, who sometimes also polarized with his ideas to bring the Khumbu region forward. In October 2017 he introduced an additional tourist fee to use the money to improve the infrastructure of the area. The government in Kathmandu finally overruled him.
The local politician also called for limiting the number of foreign mountaineers on Mount Everest to 300 in the spring season – to get the pollution under control. The remaining summit candidates could come to the highest mountain on earth in the fall season, Nim Dorje said.
One project that was particularly close to his heart was the 50-kilometer-long road from Kharikola to Nachipang in the Khumbu region. It now bears the name “Nim Dorje Sherpa Tourist Road”.
