KATHMANDU, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Nepal may limit the number of climbers and regulate the timing of expeditions, taking into account the carrying capacity of mountains, the short favorable weather window for climbing, and potential congestion.

Under the five-year Action Plan to Keep Mountains Clean (2025-2029) unveiled on Tuesday, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has introduced a number of measures to address the growing waste problem in the mountains, including limiting the number of climbers.

The government will prepare legal and policy provisions to determine and regulate the number of climbers and the timing of expeditions, according to the action plan.

Nepal's Supreme Court last year ordered the government to issue climbing permits only after specifying the number of climbers. The directive came amid traffic jams on summit ridges and the accumulation of trash. For teams assigned to open routes to the summit (rope/route fixing), a condition will be stipulated requiring that all materials used for this work be mandatorily brought back after the completion of the climbing season. ■