Conservation vs tourism: Restriction on helicopter flights in Everest skies brings Nepal govt, entrepreneurs at odds

In mid-January, Sudhir Chaudhary, an Indian journalist, flew to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar on a Simrik Air helicopter. To many, his visit was seen as an excursion of Nepali tourism’s USP, the Khumbu valley. As Chaudhary is the Editor-in-Chief of Zee News, there were no further questions to him regarding the purpose of his visit; he went and came back without much trouble.

But, a few days later, on his prime-time programme, Chaudhary released a sensational piece in which he stated India also had the right to claim Everest as theirs. While Chaudhary and the piece even made it to the front page of a national daily in Nepal, yet another controversy surrounded his visit.