Himalayan News Service

Nawalparasi, April 28:

The aquatic life of the Narayani river is under threat of extinction. The cause? Pollution of the river. The pollution has been caused mainly by the poisonous by-products from the Nawalparasi industries and factories, which flow untreated into the river, said experts.

The quality of water in areas between the Narayani bridge on the Mahendra Highway to Tribeni located on Indo-Nepal border was tested by French environmentalists, according to the Royal Chitawan National Park (RCNP). It stated that the report said that with the increase in pollution in the river, the lives of aquatic animals are in danger.

The pollutants from the Bhrikuti Paper Industry, Gorkha Brewery, Sumi distillery and Shree distillery flows directly into the Narayani river, according to the report submitted by the French environmentalists. The crocodiles and fish that live in the river are in great danger, said an environmentalist at RCNP, Shyam Bajimay. Some infections that are found in the fish and the crocodiles are because of the filthy state of the river, he said. Until last year there were around 300 crocodiles in the river. But there are not more than 70 crocodiles at the moment. Meanwhile, the life of the wild animals like tigers, deer, rhinos and other animals which rely on the Narayani river for water, is also in danger, informed Bajiyam.