-Hiralal Gurung
Mugling, May 5: The rafting business in the Trishuli River has been poised to the closure as the unregulated excavations and mounting pollution in the river go unabated. Adventure River Trail’s proprietor Kamal Thakuri who has been running rafting business in this river shared that wanton excavation of rocks, sands and soil from the river and dumping of garbage posed threat to rafting in the river.
Thakuri further said, “The pristine Trishuli River is now murky throughout the year due to uncontrolled excavations at various places. Huge machines are taken to the River for digging dip into the River banks which also soil the beauty of river and changes in its tides. The change in natural tides is risk to rafting.” According to him, the trashes of the Trishuli market are also dumped in the river which has made the river ugly and dirty. It is the reason behind declined number of foreign tourists visiting Trishuli for rafting lately. Similarly, rafting guide Milan Gurung, echoing with Thakuri, agreed that increasing pollution with garbage and excavation of construction aggregates in Trishuli River are detrimental to the adventurous sports -rafting.
He viewed that sporadic cleaning drive launched by social organizations and rafting professionals would not aid much in keeping intact the chastity of the River. “A regular clean-up drive in the river and proper waste management in Trishuli market are a must,” noted Gurung with nine year of experience in this outdoor adventure.
Of around 6,000 rivers in Nepal, 16 rivers were open for rafting including Trishuli, Bhote Koshi, Karnali, Sun Koshi, Arun and Tamor. Trishuli River, lying in the vicinity of Kathmandu Valley, remains the most popular destinations for rafting given its proximity also with Pokhara and Chitwan cities as well. Government has included Trishuli River, where thousands of tourist visit for rafting, as one of the 100 tourist destinations for Visit Nepal 2020. RSS
