Talking at a recent function to mark World River Day, conservationists and experts voiced deep concern over the ongoing destruction along the Tinau, including its rich bio-diversity.
Conservation of the river system and curving reckless human activity near the riverbed were strongly recommended during the hour-long discussion program.
“The Tinau river is the pride of our district. It represents the rich bio-diversity that we have celebrated for decades and it is now our responsibility to save it from further destruction,” said Upendra Gyawali, an officer at Rupandehi District Development Committee.
“We need to press ahead in its conservation without hesitation and delay,” he added.
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Chairperson of the Nepal Forum for Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) Rupandehi branch, DR Ghimire, concurred with Gyawali and recommended pushing forward with preventive measures as soon as possible.
“This task of conserving the river from further destruction would hardly be possible without the involvement of the local community. So the best step forward would be to invite them into this project and educated them about their role,” said Ghimire.
The Tinau river, which is formed by various tributaries in Palpa district, enters India through Rupandehi district. Locals in the Butwal Municipality area of Rupandehi, in Tilotama Municipality and in a dozen village development committees nearby are directly affected by any changes in the river system.
Tinau is not only a major source of drinking water for Butwal but also provides hydro-electricity for hundreds of households in Rupandehi district. As per a report of the Nepal Drinking Water Cooperation (NDWC) Butwal office, at least nine million liters of water is pumped from the river and distributed in Butwal every day. The river also irrigates 11,000 hectares of agricultural land.
“We should understand clearly that the destruction of the Tinau river means destruction of our lives. If we fail to act now, a major source of water for both drinking and irrigation will vanish, making our lives more miserable,” said Chairperson of Rupandehi chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Sher Bahadur KC.
