“Maybe because I don’t hesitate to speak and not afraid of what people say, my community decided to make me the chair of our Community Aquatic Animal and Biodiversity Conservation Group (CAACG). Or maybe it is because I can call out the wrong and even hold my deeds accountable. I am not afraid of making enemies and I think I have. To protect the river and the fishes is my duty and I take it seriously.

Once during one of my patrolling in a river stretch we co-manage, which is a regular activity of my CAACG, I came across men catching fish with a net. Now, this net had been banned from use because the holes in it are too small and even the baby fishes get caught on it. They had other fishing gears that were against the law Jorayal Rural Municipality endorsed with support from USAID Paani Program and we made people aware of. I was not going to be silent. We confiscated their nets and tools and released their catch on the river. Of course, they did not like it but I was not letting this issue go without proper investigation and result. So I took the nets and the tools to the concerned authorities and told them what I had witnessed. I demanded they be fined according to the law. Fines as punishment are necessary if kind words do not work. But you see, the people who are to be reprimanded walk free for various reasons and that kills our motivation. If people get away with their crimes, there will never be a just society.

A journalist had even made a video of this incident and posted it on Facebook. These cases have happened and I know for these reasons some people who chose profit over environment do not like me. But I am not going to stop. If my husband did it, I would drag him to be held accountable. I would not spare him.Why do I protecting the fish so seriously, you might wonder. You see this is what we have been doing for our livelihood, for salt, oil, rice and school for our children. This is how we make money. And if fishing is not regulated and if people who do not rely on fishing and only do it for entertainment and to reap benefits continue with their selfish ways, we will have no food on our plates. It is like a kick to our stomachs.And it is not only about me. It is also about our community who has been oppressed, stigmatized and neglected for decades. Someone has to stand for them too. The depletion of fish in these rivers affects us more than those who can go to the cities and find work, those who have land and resources. The effects are already visible. When I ask my husband to go catch fish and manage some salt and oil, he says, “There are no fish, it is useless going to the river. “This is also because of the drought. The fishes do not have enough water they need in the river. So things are becoming difficult for us. Times have changed too. Everything needs to be bought. The children go to school and demand new clothes and books and pencils. When their clothes get dirty, they ask for soaps. They ask for new shoes and socks every few months. It has been difficult for livelihood for the fisher like us. However, I am a strong woman and I will do whatever I can to protect the river and fishes. I will chase away the people who poison our rivers; I will keep snatching their nets. I will keep dragging them to the ward. I will keep shouting to protect the livelihood of our community. I will, no matter how many enemies I make.”

(Kataini Devi Badi, Jorayal 3, Rautkatte, Doti)

Kataini Devi Badi is a local conservation champion and chairperson of the Karnaso CAACG who is leading the co-management of a 2 Kilometers river stretch on the Thuligaad River in the Karnali River Basin in Western Nepal. She is raising awareness of sustainable fishing practices. She is very active in protecting and promoting the rights and entitlements of the Badi community, a river resource-dependent community.

Badi (Nepali: बादी) is a Hill Dalit community in Nepal. #riverstories with Paani – पानी

“सायद म बोल्न नडराउने भएकोले हो कि वा मान्छेले के भन्लान् भनेर नसोच्नाले हो, मेरो समुदायले मलाई हाम्रो सामुदायिक जलचर तथा जैवीकविवधता संरक्षण समुहको अध्यक्ष बनाइदियो । म सत्यलाई सत्य र असत्यलाई असत्य भन्न सक्ने खालकी छु । त्यही भएर मेरा केहि शत्रुहरू पनि होलान् । तर शत्रु कमाइन्छ भनेर मलाई डर लाग्दैन । नदी र यसका माछाहरूको संरक्षण गर्नु मेरो दायित्व हो र म यसलाई गम्भिर रूपमा लिन्छु ।हाम्रो समुहले नदी तटमा नियमित गस्ती गर्ने गर्छ । गस्तीको क्रमा एक दिन केही लोग्ने मान्छेहरूले महाजाल हानेर माछा मारिरहेका थिए । महाजलमा भुराहरू पनि पर्ने भएकाले त्यस्तो जाल नदीमा हान्न पाइन्न । जोरायाल गाउँपालिकाले प्रतिवन्ध लगाएका त्यस्तै अरू माछा मार्ने सामानहरू पनि तिनीहरूसँग थियो । त्यसरी माछा मार्नु हुन्न है भनेर हामीले पटकपटक जनचेतना पनि फैलाएका थियौँ । त्यति हुँदा हुँदै पनि तिनीहरूले नमानेपछि म चुप लागेर बस्न सकिन । तिनीहरूको जाल र सामान जफत गरेर तिनीहरूले समातेका सबै माछा पानीमा हामीले छोडिदियौँ । तिनीहरूले मलाई पक्कै पनि मन पराएनन् तर म तिनीहरूलाई यत्तिकै छोड्नेवाला थिइँन । त्यहि भएर मैले तिनीहरूको माछा मार्ने जाल र सामान लिएर आवश्यक छानविनका लागि सम्वन्धित निकायमा उजुरी दिएँ, अनि नियम अनुसार तिनीहरूलाई जरिवाना गराउन माग गरेँ । राम्रो मुखले भन्दा नलाग्नेलाई जरिवाना गराउनैपर्छ । तर हेर्नुस् न, गल्ती गर्नेले सजाय नपाई विभिन्न वाहानामा मुक्ति पाउँछन्, जसले गर्दा हाम्रो मनोबल घट्न थाल्छ । अपराध गर्ने मान्छेले सजिलै मुक्ति पायो भने हाम्रो समाजमा न्याय रहँदैन ।एकजना पत्रकारले यस घटनाबारे भिडियो बनाएर फेसबुकमा पनि हालिदिएका थिए। यस्ता घटना भइरहन्छन् । जसले प्रकृतीलाई भन्दा आफ्नो फाइदालाई ठूलो देख्छन्, त्यस्ता मान्छेले मलाई मन पराउँदैनन् । तर म छोड्दिन । मेरो श्रीमानले त्यस्को काम गर्‍यो भने पनि म उसलाई छोड्दिन, उसलाई जवाफदेहि बनाएरै छोड्छु ।तपाइँलाई लाग्दै होला म किन यसरी गम्भिर भएर माछाको संरक्षण गरिरहेकोछु भनेर । हेर्नुस्, माछाबाटै हामीले जीवनयापन गरिरहेकाछौँ । नुन, तेल, चामल र छोराछोरीको स्कुलको खर्च हामीले यसैबाट जुटाउँछौँ । माछा मार्ने कामलाई नियमन गरिएन भने रमाइलोका लागि माछा मार्नेहरूले आफ्नो स्वार्थका लागि जे पनि गर्छन् र अन्त्यमा हामी जस्ताका लागि एक दिन खानका लागि एक गेडो अन्न पनि रहन्न । यो त हाम्रो पेटमा लात हानेको जस्तै हुन्छ नि, हैन?यो मेरो मात्रै कुरो हैन । सदियौँ देखि उत्पिडन, कलंकित र हेपाइमा परेको हाम्रो पुरै समुदायसँग पनि जोडिएको विषय हो यो । कोहि न कोहिले त आवाज उठाउन पर्‍यो । नदीमा माछा घट्यो भने सबैभन्दा बढी मार हामीलाई नै पर्छ । जोसँग जग्गा र अन्य स्रोतहरू छन् त्यस्ता मान्छेहरू त शहर पस्छन्, अरू काम गर्छन् । असर पर्ने त हामीलाई नै हो, जुन देखिन थालिसक्यो । अस्ति मैले मेरो श्रीमानलाई खोलामा माछा मारेर नुनतेल ल्याउनू है भन्दा “खोलामा माछै त छैन, के जानु!” भन्नुभएको थियो। खडेरीले गर्दा पनि यस्तो भएको हो । माछालाई चाहिने जति पानी त छैन खोलामा। त्यहि भएर हामीलाई दिनदिनै गाह्रो हुन थालेकोछ ।समय पनि बदलिएको छ । अहिले जे पनि किन्नुपर्छ । बच्चाहरू स्कुल जान्छन् अनि नयाँ नयाँ लुगा, किताब कलम माग्छन् । लुगा मैलो भयो भने साबुन चाहियो । महिनैपिच्छे जस्तो नयाँ नयाँ जुत्ता मोजा चाहियो । हामी जस्ता माछा मार्नेका लागि त बाँच्न पनि साह्रै गाह्रो हुन थालेकोछ ।तर म कमजोर छैन, नदी र माछा जोगाउनका लागि म जे पनि गर्न तयार छु । नदीमा विष हाल्नेलाई म लखेट्छु, अनाधिकृत जाल समात्छु । तिनीहरूलाई वडा कार्यालयसम्म लतारेर लान्छु । हाम्रो समुदायका मानिसहरूको जीवन रक्षाका लागि आवाज उठाइरहन्छु । त्यसको लागि जति शत्रु कमाउनु परे पनि म पछि पर्दिन ।” (कटैनी देवी बादी, जोरायाल ३, राउतकट्टे, डोटी)——————कटैनी देवी बादी कर्नासो सामुदायिक जलचर तथा जैवीकविवधता संरक्षण समुहको अध्यक्ष र स्थानिय संरक्षण अभियन्ता हुन् । पश्चिम नेपालको कर्णाली नदी तटमा पर्ने ठूलीगाड खोलाको २ किलोमिटर खण्डको सहव्यवस्थापनमा नेतृत्वदायी भुमिका उनी र उनको समुहले गर्दै आएकोछ । दिगो मच्छे व्यवस्थपनका लागि जनचेतना फैलाउने कार्यमा पनि उनी संलग्न छिन् । नदीमा आश्रित बादी समुदायको हक अधिकारको रक्षा एवं जनचेतनाका लागि उनी सक्रिय छिन् । बादी नेपालको पहाडी क्षेत्रको दलित समुदायमा पर्ने एक जाती हो ।#नदीको_कथा