Odia mountaineer Nilachal Parida, who on September 18 trekked one of the top peaks of Asia, the Mount Stock Kangri Summit, and sets eyes to touch the highest peak of the world, the Mount Everest, has sought support from the State Government as well the Central Government to achieve his dream.
A resident of Baramunda here and a driver by profession, Parida belongs to a very poor family and lost his father when he was two years’ old.
When asked why he didn’t climb the Kilimanjaro peak in Africa on October 27, as part of his plan to climb highest points of the seven continents, the Seven Summits, Parida said, “Due to very low financial status, I was not able to take part in it.”
The mountaineer, who has completed his basic mountaineering course at the Jawhar Institute of Mountaineering (Jammu and Kashmir) with Grade-A, has been supported by some people to continue his dream of climbing.
Also working as a traffic volunteer in the city, Parida, with tears in his eyes, seeks financial and motivational support from the State and Central Governments, “To achieve my dreams I request the governments to support,” he said and hoped that everything good would happen.
Parida, who is inspired by Purna Chandra Das, Odisha’s first male Everester Ganesh Jena and Dillip Kumar Pradhan, thanked DGP Dr RP Sharma, Linka Subudhi, Dhamnagar MLA Muktikanta Mandal, Odisha Police Commandant Bijay Kumar Sahoo, Seva Prayas Foundation, Rudra Narayan Samantray and Ambika Maharana for their supports.
He has climbed the 15,700-foot Highest Summit in Himachal Pradesh (Avimas), 12,500-feet three-Treks Summit In Jammu and Kashmir, and 3,336-meter Sandakphu Peak Summit in Darjeeling on the India-Nepal border for the Odisha Government Expedition. He has also climbed two peaks in Himachal Pradesh, Narkanda Hatu Temple Summit and Himrikufri Summit Trek, while taking part in the National Adventure Camp. Besides, he has also taken part in the State Adventure Camp and the 21-km BSF Marathon.
Recently, a 14-member Odia team, including 12 boys and two girls, under the leadership of Parida completed their Basic Mountaineering course in Kashmir on September 20.
