Raipur
Amita Srivas from Janjgir-Champa district achieved the rare feat of scaling and safely descending Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak. Climbers consider an Everest expedition complete only after a safe return.
Srivas comes from a humble background in Loharpara, Champa. Her father, Jaitram Srivas, runs a salon and raised five daughters and two sons on a modest income. She passed her Class 12 exams from Government Laxmibai Girls School, Champa, in 2008 and later completed her BCom degree. She took up a job as an Anganwadi worker in 2011. While working at the Anganwadi centre in Ward 4, Srivas drew inspiration from the nearby Atal Bihari Vajpayee Thermal Power Plant in Marwa.
The Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company later provided financial assistance for her mountaineering goals. Her interest in mountaineering began during a trip to Mount Abu with her friend Kshama Rajput. Srivas completed a basic mountaineering course in 2018, followed by a 28-day advanced training course in Sikkim. Financial constraints on her small Anganwadi stipend did not deter her from covering her training expenses.
Srivas faced similar funding challenges before joining an expedition to Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. The Janjgir-Champa district collector recommended her case, prompting the power generation company to fund her journey.
Ramesh Kumar Srivas, Chief Statistical Officer at Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company, noted that Srivas often practiced barefoot during early morning sessions due to a lack of resources. Srivas scaled Mount Kilimanjaro on International Women’s Day, 8 March 2021, becoming Chhattisgarh’s first female international mountaineer.
To attempt Mount Everest, Srivas needed ₹50 lakh. The Chhattisgarh government and the state power generation company provided financial backing following official recommendations. Srivas started her journey on 9 April, traveling by train to Delhi, then flying to Kathmandu before trekking to Everest Base Camp. Severe weather at 6,500 metres temporarily halted the expedition.
Extreme cold, high-speed winds, low oxygen levels, and treacherous paths marked the climb.
Fellow climber Sandeep Apte from Bengaluru suffered fatal corneal damage from snow blindness. Shortly after, Kanak Tiwari from Hyderabad died 100 metres short of the summit. Supported by her Sherpa, Dawa Galjin, Srivas continued the ascent. Using oxygen cylinders, she completed the final 800-metre climb in 21 hours. Srivas unfurled the Indian tricolour atop the 8,848-metre peak on 22 May 2026.
The descent proved more hazardous than the climb. Severe oxygen deprivation affected her memory and coordination. Srivas reached Base Camp after a 42-day ordeal, suffering from frostbite on her fingers. Authorities airlifted her from Base Camp to Kathmandu for a week of treatment before her return home to India.
