KATHMANDU — In February, river conservationists and tourism entrepreneurs gathered on the banks of the Trishuli River in central Nepal to voice concerns about a proposed hydropower project. They warned that proceeding with the project would disrupt the river’s ecosystem and affect the thousands of people who depend on it. However, they emphasized that while they didn’t support the 100-megawatt Super Trishuli Hydropower Project they weren’t “anti-development,” as some in power have painted them. “I am not opposed to development, but I find it regrettable when development makes a river run dry,” said Megh Ale, president of the Nepal River Conservation Trust. Likewise, during a program on February 16, 2024 addressing the environmental implications of the proposed Nagmati Dam near Kathmandu, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, at the time an opposition politician but recently appointed minister of youth and sports, echoed a similar sentiment. While highlighting flaws in the dam concept, Shrestha said, “Please do not perceive me as opposing development.” After decades of conflict and peace-building, Nepal’s political landscape has shifted its focus to large-scale infrastructure development. Nepalis, influenced by the rapid pace of development in neighboring India and China, now desire similar progress within the Himalayan country, often overlooking environmental considerations. With numerous large infrastructure projects such as highways, tunnels, cable cars, railway lines, river diversions, dams, airports and transmission lines underway or planned across the country, environmental safeguards are essential, conservation activists say. A rhino in a town near Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Image by sunriseOdyssey via Flickr (CC…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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