As torch bearers prepare for the ascent of Mount Qomolangma, various efforts are being made to keep the unpolluted area clean.
About 300 people, including torch bearers, coaches, journalists and other staff, are now stationed at the base camp of the mountain. The issue of how to keep the camp clean - and in particular the toilets - is proving tricky.
The poor conditions only allow sanitation workers to use stones to keep the toilets clean and less smelly, and all waste matter has been collected into environmentally-friendly plastic bags, which are used as toilet basins.
To keep the world's highest mountain unpolluted, solar energy panels and generators have also been set up to provide the power supply. They're designed to last at least ten years. These environmentally-friendly pieces of equipment have also been sent to the border post, ending a 40-year span there without power.
Separate provisions have been made for the water. All the drinking water is transported from a mountain spring eight kilometers away, while the water for daily use is collected from icebergs nearby. The team hopes this will help conserve water, which is rare at the highest plateau.
