Threats in Nepal - River pollution

Pesticides and paper industry make it hard for fish to survive

The organochlorines DDT and aldrin are widely used in Nepal as pesticides in agriculture. They are often sold and used without any knowledge of the hazards posed by their use.

DDT is especially harmful to birds, especially those on top of the food chain like predators, since it causes eggshell thinning, causing eggs to break and thus chicks to die before hatching. Aldrin is also directly toxic.

Pesticides leaking from fields to rivers pose a significant problem, as they contaminate the drinking water used by people and animals. Toxic effects of drinking water add to the problems of species that are already endangered, such as the blackbuck.

Contamination of water has contributed to a serious decline in the population of the endangered gharial crocodile. Moreover, it is one of the reasons why the Gangetic river dolphin (Platanista gangetica) is on the verge of extinction in Nepal.

Declining fish populations make life difficult for fishermen
Unsurprisingly, fish populations in rivers have also declined steeply. Sufferers include both fish themselves and local fishermen who depend on the populations for their livelihood.

On the bank of River Narayani, two fishermen, belonging to the Majhi people, are returning from their daily work. Sher Bahadur Majhi, 66 years, and Brahma Majhi, 41 years, both depend on fishing and selling their catch, as they do not own any land.

"The fish populations have really gone down, and so have our catches", says Sher Bahadur Majhi, who has a long experience of living in the region. "Nowadays it is hard for fishermen in our village to feed their families."

Unintentional and intentional contamination
"There are some people that use poison for fishing", Sher Bahadur Majhi explains. "They pour pesticides or herbicides into the river, and wait for the fish to die and appear floating on the surface, where they are easy to collect."