4 Maharashtra tribal students scale Everest

MOUNTAINEERS WERE PART OF A TEAM TRAINED BY DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

NAGPUR: Four students from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district scaled Mount Everest on Wednesday afternoon, becoming the first tribal students to achieve this feat.

Umakant Madavi (19), Parmesh Aale (19) Manisha Dhurve (18), and Kavidas Katmode (18) are the first tribal students from India to scale the world’s highest peak. Katmode and Madavi reached the summit at 3.25 am. Aale and Dhurve followed at 4.25 am and 4.35 am respectively.

The four are part of Mission Shaurya, a 10-member expedition made up of tribal students from Chandrapur district. Mission Shaurya is a joint initiative of Maharashtra tribal development department and the Chandrapur collectorate.

When district collector Ashutosh Salil had suggested training a group of students from ashramshalas (state-run residential schools for tribal children), very few of these children had even heard of Mount Everest. “The state government decided to scale such initiatives to promote talent in various fields amongst tribal youth,” said Manisha Verma, principal secretary, tribal development department. The 10 selected students, aged between 18 and 21, are from different ashramashalas in Chandrapur.

“These students underwent rigorous training for 18 months at various places before embarking on the Everest mission from the Chinese side,” said Sudhir Mungantiwar, Maharashtra’s minister of finance and planning and forests and guardian minister of Chandrapur and Wardha. The team began their 60-day expedition from Mumbai on April 11. They were accompanied by manager-cum-trainer Bimla Negi-deoskar, who scaled Everest in 1993; a high-altitude expert doctor, support staff and 15 sherpas.

On April 19, the group reached the Everest base camp.

Two of the students, Aakash Madavi and Chhaya Atram, had to return to Chandrapur because of altitude sickness. Two other children, Vikas Soyam and Akshay Atram, may attempt the climb on May 17 and 18 respectively, depending on fitness and weather conditions. Mungantiwar described the climb as a “historic achievement” that has brought fame to Chandrapur district. He announced that the successful students would be given cash awards and jobs in the police department.