“Father did not send any of us girls to school. He had a reason. He had sent his eldest son to school and one day while he was coming back he was possessed by a spirit and he fell ill. After 9 days, he passed away. Father believed that if he had not sent him to school he would have been alive. So he never sent us to school. Eventually, he lost his senses and wandered around the village aimlessly and drunk. Mother was ill too. They both could not bear the loss of their son. There was no food at home and we would search and search until we found something to eat. But sometimes we would not find anything.

I would see people catching fishes and take the fishes to home. But at my home, there was no one to catch fish. I would go to the river and watch them. They would usher me away saying women were not meant to fish. If only father went fishing we would have food at home. I regret that. We survived somehow but I do not have a memory of eating good food or eating a full stomach.

When I married and came to my husband house, I became closer to the Karnali. The community here relied on fishing for their livelihood. My husband was good at fishing. So, we opened this small eatery and started selling fish. Sometimes people came to buy fresh fish and sometimes people came to enjoy it with beer and cold drinks. This is how we sustain our livelihood. This is how we buy oil and medicines. This is how we send our children to school. It is difficult for us to imagine life without Karnali.

After we formed our conservation group, I have been very vocal. People have varied opinions and some want to profit from the river immediately. They want to see money in their hands. But that kind of greed will only bring harm. I have been able to convince some against haphazard gravel mining and destructive fishing. I have convinced people about adopting the sustainable fishing practice. I have told them about hunger and how it feels.

Due to our conservation effort, the number of fishes has increased in our stretch of Karnali River. Now we can quickly run down to the Karnali, catch fish, bring home and enjoy their stew. Now, there are all kind of fish available including Sahar, Thed, Ghoch, Asala sometimes Jalkapoor too. But when the fishes are gone what will we eat? I tell them we need to think not only of today but also of tomorrow. We need to protect what we have when we can.

”(Mina Bista, Saatbaseri, Mohanyal 7, Kailali Thuligad Watershed)

(Mina Bista is a members of Kachali CAACG formed with the support from USAID Paani Program in Moyanyal Rural Municipality inThuligad Watershed. Her group is managing 5 km river stretch from Bunggadh khola to Kachali spanning for conservation and sustainable use. She continued to lead her group for monthly meeting, monthly saving collection, river patrolling, control of destructive fishing practices and control of river mining. Now, with the increase of fishes in the river, she can catch 2 kg to 5 kg in a day and earn NPR 500.00 for per Kg.)

हाम्रो बुबाले कुनैपछि छोरीहरूलाई स्कुल पठाउनुभएन । त्यसको एउटा कारण थियो उहाँसँग । पहिले पहिले जेठो छोरालाई स्कुल पठाउने गर्नुहुन्थ्यो । तर एकदिन स्कुलबाट घर फर्किँदा भूतप्रेतले समातेछ कि क्या हो, दाजु त बिरामी पर्नुभयो । अनि नौ दिनको दिन बित्नुभयो । यदि दाजुलाई स्कुल नपठाएको भए आज उहाँ जिउँदै हुनुहुन्थ्यो भन्ने बुबालाई लागिरह्यो । त्यहि भएर हामीलाई पनि कहिले पनि स्कुल पठाउनु भएन । विस्तारै, बुबाले नि होस गुमाउँदै जानुभयो । रक्सी खाएर गाउँभरि भौतारिन थाल्नुभयो । आमा पनि बिरामी पर्नुभयो । दुवैजनाले छोरा गुमाउनुको पिडा सहन सक्नुभएन सायद । घरमा खाने केहि अन्न थिएन । हामी नै खोज्न जान्थ्यौँ । कहिले खाने कुरा मिल्थ्यो कहिले त भोकै ।मानिसहरूले खोलामा माछा मारेर घर लगेको मैले देखेको थिएँ । मेरो घरमा त माछा मार्ने पनि कोहि थिएन । त्यहि भएर म आफै खोलामा गएर अरूले माछा मारेको हेरेर बस्थेँ । छोरी मान्छेले माछा मार्नु हुन्न भनेर मलाई तिनीहरूले परपर राख्थे । माछा मार्न यदि हाम्रो बुबा जानु भएको भए कमसेकम घरमा खाने केहि त हुन्थ्यो । मलाई दुःख लाग्थ्यो । खै कसरी हो बाँचियो तर कुनै दिन मीठो खाएको, पेट भरि खाएको कुनै सम्झना नै छैन मसँग ।जब मेरो विवाह भएर म श्रीमानको घर आएँ, म कर्णालीसँग नजिक हुन पुगेँ । यहाँको समुदाय जीवनयापनका लागि माछामा नै निर्भर रहेछन् । मेरो श्रीमान माछा मार्न सिपालु हुनुहुँदोरहेछ । त्यहि भएर हामीले यो सानो होटल खोलेर माछा बेच्न थाल्यौँ । मान्छेहरू कहिले ताजा माछा किन्न आउँछन् त कहिले बियर र कोकसँग यहिँ खान खोज्छन् । हाम्रो रोजीरोटी यसरी नै चलिरहेकोछ । यसरी नै नुनतेल औषधीपानी किन्ने गरिएको छ । यसबाट आएको कमाइले नै बच्चाहरूलाई स्कुल पठाएकाछौँ । कर्णालीबीनाको जीवनको त कल्पना समेत गर्न सकिन्न ।हाम्रो संरक्षण समुह बनेपछि म एकदमै बोल्ने भएकोछु । विभिन्न मान्छेका विभिन्न कुराहरू हुन्छन् । कसैलाई नदीबाट तत्काल फाइदा चाहिएको छ । हात हातमै पैसा चाहिहाल्ने । तर त्यस्तो लोभले त हानी निम्त्याउँछ नि। मैले केहि मान्छेहरूलाई अव्यवस्थित माछा मार्न र नदीको अत्याधिक दोहन रोक्न सम्झाउनेगरेकोछु । नदीको सबै माछा मरे भने कस्तो हुन्छ र कसरी एकदिन भोकै परिन्छ भनेर मैले तिनीहरूलाई सम्झाउनेगरेकोछु ।हाम्रो संरक्षण प्रयासले गर्दा अहिले कर्णालीको हाम्रो क्षेत्रमा माछाको संख्यामा वृद्धि भएकोछ । केहि पर्र्यो भने कर्णालीतिर दौड्यो, माछा सजिलै समातेर घर ल्यायो अनि झोल खायो । अहिले त सबै प्रकारका माछा पाइन्छ यहाँ। सहर, थेड, असला अनि कहिलेकाहिँ जलकपुर पनि । यदि सबै माछा सकिए भने त के खानु? म मान्छेहरूलाई आजको बारेमा मात्रै सोच्ने हैन, भोलिको बारेमा नि चिन्ता लिनुपर्छ भनेर सम्झाउँछु । हामीसँग जे छ, त्यो हुँदासम्म त हो त्यसलाई जोगाइराख्ने ।(मिना बिस्ट, सातबसेरी, महन्याल-७, कैलाली ठूलीगाड जलाधारक्षेत्र)(मिना विस्ट कचली सामुदायिक जलचर तथा जैविक विविधता संरक्षण समुहकी सदस्य हुन् । मोहन्याल गाउँपालिकामा पर्ने ठूलीगाड जलाधार क्षेत्रको उक्त समुहलाई युएस्एड पानी परियोजनाको सहयोग रहेकोछ । बुङ्गगढ खोलादेखि कचलीसम्म कर्णालीको ५ किलोमिटर खण्डको संरक्षण तथा दिगो प्रयोगमा उनको समुहले व्यवस्थापन गरिरहेकोछ । समुहको मासिक बैठक सञ्चालन गर्न, मासिक बचत संकलन गर्न, नदीको गस्ती गर्न, नदीको दोहन र अव्यवस्थित माछा मार्ने गतिविधि रोक्न उनले समुहको नेतृत्वदायी भूमिका खेलिरहेकोछिन् । नदीमा माछाको संख्या बढेसँगै उनले २ देखि ५ केजी माछा समात्ने गरेकिछिन् जसबाट प्रतिकेजी ५०० रूपैयाँसम्म उनले आम्दानी गरिरहेकिछिन् ।