“I love my community, neighbours and I love my family. I love my place, the rivers and hills here. That is the reason why I wished to chair the Shree Kachali Community Aquatic Animal Conservation Group when it was formed. I was only 17 and I was told because I was not married. I was made a secretary. I was happy to be in such a position. I knew that my community was proud of me.I had always wanted to be a role model for everyone. So even in school, I would participate in debates and essay competition. I loved to read and write poems. I was also very good at sports which I have continued till today. I was a good sprinter. I ran in my ward and then in my district where I won both races and came 2nd in the President’s Shield in Far-West Province.

You see I came from a poor family. There were many mouths to feed. We did not sleep in woollen mattress or had comfortable beds but we did have enough to eat. But in so many different ways the hills and the rivers provided us with a lot. Fruits were plentiful, the land was fertile and the rivers were full of fish. Everybody did that. They used the forest on the left and the river on the right. Karnali is our guardian you see, taking care of us for generations. Most of the people here depend on catching fish and selling them for livelihood. There is a popular saying, “Important lessons in life is learnt through mistakes.” Because of the lack of awareness, resources and guidance, we were also at fault when it came to the excessive use of the river resources. We were catching fish rampantly and destructively, but we did not realize how we were destroying an ecosystem. And in doing so how we were contributing to the loss of our livelihood. No fish in the Karnali meant no food for us.

I am glad that people from our community soon received awareness about the conservation of aquatic animals and the river through engagement with the activities of the Paani Program. It was a sad moment for all of us when we realized the mistakes we were making. We did not know. We did not know that once the fishes are gone they do not come back. To protect the fishes we had to protect the waters they lived in. We had to save the Karnali. This realization once again united the community of men and women who caught fish for a living. We understood that it was the communities’ duty to preserve. It was the duty of those who lived here. With support from USAID Paani Program and local government, we introduced a law, formed patrolling groups, and identified destructive and non-destructive practice for fishing. According to the Aquatic Animal and Biodiversity Conservation Act passed by Mohanyal Rural Municipality, our jurisdiction is the 5km stretch of Karnali from Bangaad to Saatbaseri.In just a span of one year, we have made significant changes in our behaviours. And the community has done a lot for the conservation of aquatic animals and biodiversity. People here will tell you that the numbers of fishes have increased since we started monitoring the river and prohibiting destructive and overfishing. The river does not lie.

I am happy that I have done so much. I am proud of everyone in the community. I will continue to work, with all my heart so that we all can still dream of a better future.”

(Rashika Majhi, Kuine, Mohanyal 7, Kailali)

Radhika Majhi is the secretary of Kachali CAACG formed with the support from USAID Paani Program in Moyanyal Rural Municipality in Thuligad Watershed. Her group is managing a 5 km Karnali river stretch from Bunggadh Khola to Kachali spanning for conservation and sustainable use. She continues to lead her group for the monthly meeting, monthly saving collection, river patrolling, control of destructive fishing practices and monitoring of unsustainable riverbed 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 per Kg.USAID NepalPaani – पानी“मलाई मेरो समुदायको, छरछिमेकीको र परिवारको धेरै माया लाग्छ । यहाँको ठाउँ, नदीनाला र पहाडसँग मेरो गहिरो प्रेम छ । त्यहि भएर जब यहाँ श्री कचली सामुदायिक जलचर संरक्षण समुह बन्यो, तब यसको अध्यक्ष बन्ने इच्छा राखेँ । तर म १७ वर्षकी मात्रै थिएँ र बिहे पनि नभएकोले अलि काँचै छु भन्ने कुरा मलाई भनियो । जे भए पनि मैले यथेष्ट समय दिन सक्ने भएकीले मलाई सचिव बनाइयो । समुहको सचिव हुन पाउँदा म खुसी नै थिएँ । मेरो समुदायले मप्रति गर्व गर्ने कुरामा मलाई विश्वास थियो । म जहिले पनि सबैको लागि प्रेरणाको स्रोत बन्न सकुँ भन्ने चाहन्थेँ । त्यसैले म स्कुलमा पनि वादविवाद र निवन्ध प्रतियोगीतामा भाग लिन्थेँ । मलाई कविता लेख्न र पढ्न मन लाग्छ । म खेलकुदमा पनि राम्रो थिएँ । यसलाई मैले अहिले पनि निरन्तरता दिइरहेकोछु । म राम्रो धावक पनि थिएँ । वडास्तरिय र जिल्लास्तरिय दौड प्रतियोगितामा भाग लिएर म प्रथम भएको थिएँ । सुदुरपश्चिम प्रदेशमा भएको राष्ट्रपति कपमा पनि दोश्रो भएको थिएँ ।देख्नुभयो नि, म गरिब परिवारमा हुर्किएकी हुँ । खाने मुख धेरै थिए । सुत्नको लागि हामीसँग राम्रो गद्दा र पलङ त थिएन । तर हामीसँग खाने कुरा चैँ पर्याप्त थियो । यो पहाड र नदीहरूले हामीलाई विभिन्न तरिकाले धेरै कुरा उपलब्ध गराउँथ्यो । फलफूलहरू प्रशस्त हुन्थे, जमिन उर्वर थियो अनि नदीमा पनि माछा टन्नै हुन्थे । सबैलाई पुग्थ्यो । देब्रेतिर वनजंगल अनि दाहिनेतिरको नदीबाट सबैले लाभ लिन्थे । पुस्तौँपुस्तादेखि कर्णालीले हाम्रो ख्याल राखिरहेको छ । कर्णाली हाम्रो रक्षक हो, बझ्नुभयो । यहाँका धेरै मानिसहरू आफ्नो जीविकोपार्जनका लागि माछामा नै निर्भर छन् । एउटा भनाइ छ नि, “गल्तीबाटै जीवनका पाठहरू सिकिन्छ”। जनचेतना, स्रोत र मार्गनिर्देशनको अभावमा हामीहरूले नदीको अत्याधिक दोहन गरेर गल्ती गरेछौँ । अनियन्त्रित र विनाशकारी ढङ्गले माछा मार्दा हामीले पर्यावरणको पनि विनाश गरिरहेको कुरा मनन गरेनौँ । त्यसो गर्दा हामीले आफ्नै रोजी रोटी खोस्न भूमिका खेलिरहेका रहेछौँ । कर्णालीमा माछा नहुनुको अर्थ हाम्रो खाने अन्न नहुनु हो ।मलाई खुसी लाग्छ कि नदी र पानीमा पाइने जीवहरूको संरक्षण गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने जनचेतना हाम्रो समुदायका मानिसहरूमा छिटै आयो । पानी परियोजनाको कार्यक्रमहरूमा सहभागी भएर हामीले गरेको गल्ती महशुस गर्र्यौँ । हामीहरूलाई त थाहै थिएन । खोलामा एक पटक सबै माछा सकिए भने फेरि फर्केर आउँदैन भन्ने नै थाह थिएन । माछाको संरक्षण गर्न पहिला तिनीहरू बस्ने पानीको संरक्षण गर्नुपर्छ । हामीले पहिले कर्णालीलाई जोगाउनुपर्छ । यहि बुझाइले गर्दा माछाबाट जीविका चलाउने हाम्रो समुदायका सबैजना एक पटक फेरि एकजुट भए । संरक्षण गर्नु समुदायकै दायित्व हो भन्ने कुरा हामीले बुझ्यौँ । यहिँ बस्ने मानिसहरूको नै यसप्रति कर्तव्य हुन्छ । युएस्एड पानी परियोजना र स्थानिय तहको सहयोगमा हामीले जलचर तथा जैवीक विविधता संरक्षण ऐन कार्यान्वयनमा ल्यायौँ । माछा मार्ने राम्रो र नराम्रो तरिकाको पहिचान गर्र्यौँ अनि नियमित गस्ती गर्ने समुह बनायौँ । कानुन अनुसार वनगाड देखि सातबसेरीसम्म कर्णालीको ५ किलोमिटर क्षेत्र हाम्रो जिम्मा अन्तर्गत पर्छ ।सिर्फ एक वर्षको अवधीमा नै हाम्रो व्यवहारमा हामीले धेरै परिवर्तन ल्यायौँ । पानीमा रहने जीवहरू र जैविक विविधताको रक्षाका लागि हाम्रो समुदायले धेरै गरेको छ । नदीको गस्ती गर्न थालेपछि र अव्यवस्थित माछा मार्ने कार्यमा रोक लगाएपछि नदीमा माछाको संख्यामा वृद्धि आएको कुरा यहाँका मान्छेहरू आफै भन्छन् । अरूले ढाँटे पनि नदीले कहिले पनि ढाँट्दैन ।मलाई खुसी छ मैले पनि धेरै गर्न सकेँ । समुदायका सबैजना प्रति म गर्व गर्छु । सुनौलो भविष्यको सपना देखिरहन म मन-वचनले काम गरिरहनेछु ।”(राधिका माझि, कुइने, मोहन्याल-७, कैलाली)______________राधिका माझी कचली सामुदायिक जलचर संरक्षण समुहकी सचिव 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 ।