New Delhi: Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh felicitated 15 member team of the 2nd BSF Mt. Everest Expedition here today. This team successfully scaled Mount Everest on 20th & 21st May 2018 in two different groups. Padma Shri Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu created history by conquering the peak for the seventh time. The Home Minister presented cheques of Rs. Two lakh to the Expedition Leader, Rs. One and a half Lakh to the Deputy Leader and Rs. One lakh to each member of the team. He also presented cheques of Rs. 25,000 to each member of the support team.
Stating on the occasion that the Border Security Force (BSF) not only guards the borders of the country, the Home Minister expressed said, he feels proud that brave men of this frontier Force also successfully conquered the world’s highest peak the Mount Everest. He said, while it is difficult to achieve this feat even once, the BSF men have done it twice.
Shri Rajnath Singh appreciated that this team also propagated the message of protection of environment by spreading “Swachchta Mission” at the great Himalayan peaks. He lauded the effort of the team which brought down with them 700 kilograms of waste left over by other mountaineering expedition teams. He said, it is a praiseworthy step by the BSF which put forth before the entire world India’s commitment to safeguarding the environment. The selected team member of the 2nd BSF Mt. Everest Expedition had undergone 40 days of pre-expedition tough training during the last year at the Atal Behari Vajpayee Mountaineering Institute in Manali in Himachal Pradesh where they learnt the skills of mountaineering. Starting from Kathmandu, Nepal on March 20, the team had set up their base camp at the height of 17,800 feet. The expedition then split into two teams and set up their second Camp at the height of 21,600 feet on April 30 and the third Camp at 23,900 feet on May 02. During their expedition, the BSF teams scaled the high peaks thrice and under their “Swachch Glacier Mission” collected and brought back the leftover waste by other mountaineers, to their base camp.
Director General, BSF, Shri K.K. Sharma and other officials were present on the occasion.
The first group comprising seven members, led by Expedition Leader Shri Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu, finally conquered the World’s highest peak the Mount Everest at 7.30 in the morning of May 20. The second group led by Deputy Leader Shri Avinash Negi starting from Base Camp on May 18, scaled the Mount Everest at 7.30 in the morning on May 21. The Expedition also included eight member support team. The teams then returned to their Base Camp on May 24. They returned to Delhi on June 1st.
