GajendraBohara
Tikapur, Kailali
“Not only in our country or province but across the world, dolphin species are facing danger of extinction. I will take initiatives to enact laws for the conservation of dolphin at province level,” said Surya Bahadur Thapa, during a discussion on water organised by Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalist in Tikapur of Kailali district.
Thapa,coordinator of District Coordination Committee, also reiterated his commitment to end the contract system for fishing that is being operated in the district through coordination. Participants in the hall expressed their support to Thapa’s commitment with a thunderous clap. He was the chief guest at the discussion program organised in partnership with USAID Water Project.
Successful efforts from the local level for Healthy and Water Management and Livelihood were discussed at the program. Over 40 people including various farmer groups, consumers of irrigation projects, conservation campaigners, people’s representatives, tourists, professionals and journalists marked their presence at the program.
The participants expressed worry about the growing threat to aquatic animals due to growing pollution in the water sources. Aquatic animals are going extinct as a result of human activities. Even the alive animals such as fish, dolphin and crocodiles are facing threat because of the growing pollution.
Most of them pointed the finger at human activities for the growing pollution which, they said, has been taking its toll on the aquatic animals. Human activities such as use of poison to kill fish, use of chemical fertilizer in agriculture, and mixing drainage pipe in the rivers are polluting the rivers.
Dolphins and crocodiles are facing the highest risks due to increasing pollution. The polluted water is directing affecting their health and killing other fish species which are their food. Conservationist Tharka Bahadur Shahi said that it has become a rare sight to see fish in rivers like Karnali and Mohana.
“Fish are declining because of pollution, and the number of dolphin and crocodile is also falling,” he said. “The fishing should be banned for at least three months in a year.” He said the problem can be reduced to some extent if fishing could be stopped during the breeding season from April to June.
The stakeholders also took exception to the tradition of granting fishing contract in the rivers and lake by district coordination committee. They said the problem has become worse as the contractors use poison to kill fish. Bijaya Raj Shrestha, a long time conservationist, said the district coordination committee should be serious because the greed for meagre profit has been destroying the aquatic biodiversity.
“It is not prudential to allow the destruction of biodiversity worth millions of rupees for meagre 2-4 lakhs rupees,” he said, “It is our property. So we should save it.”
Coordinator of Kailali Coordination Committee, Surya Bahadur, also the chief guest at the program, expressed his commitment to scrap the contracts of rivers and lakes. He said there had been some weaknesses on the part of former District Development Committee to continue the tradition of granting fishing contract.
“There was tradition of granting contract. We also didn’t pay heed to its impact and upheld the tradition,” he said. “I will scrap the contract by settling the financial issues with all contractors.”
He also expressed his commitment to take initiatives for enacting laws by provincial government. He said a joint campaign of Kailali locals will be launched for dolphin conservation.
There are around 56 rivers and tributaries and over 100 lakes in the district. Ghoda Ghodi is the largest lake of the district which has been listed in world wetland sites.
Tikapur Water discussion endorsed the following commitments:
1. Manage the garbage from the market and prevent the disposal of garbage into water sources and rivers, take initiatives to manage garbage.
2.Will stop fishing activities at least three months every year (from April to June) by making and enforcing a code of conduct in order to conserve the aquatic animals facing threat of extinction such as Sahar fish, dolphin, and gharial.
3.Manage alternative employment opportunities for the people earning their livelihood from fishing during the period when fishing will be banned.
4.Management for raising awareness of the farmers and provide subsidy to encourage them for using organic fertilizer in order to control pesticides.
5.Protect and promote the traditional systems for conservation of bio diversity and make proper management of river, and irrigation canal.
6.Enact provincial laws for the conservation of dolphins and scrap the contract system of fishing.
