Stakeholders Express Concerns Over Trishuli Hydropower Project Impact on Rafting Business

Concerns are rising among stakeholders, including people's representatives, rafting entrepreneurs, and river conservation activists, over the proposed Trishuli Hydropower Project's potential impact on the rafting business.

The 100 MW Super Trishuli Hydropower Project, currently in preliminary construction stages in Gandaki Rural Municipality-1 Battar in Gorkha and Ichchakamana-3 Chumkhola in Chitwan, has sparked worries about environmental and economic repercussions. Provincial assembly member emphasized the need to strike a balance between development and preserving the environment, pledging to work against endangering rivers and their ecosystems.

The President of the Nepal Rafting Association voiced concerns that the proposed hydropower project could lead to a crisis for the rafting business, putting at risk the livelihoods of 3,500 guides and 10,000 workers. Also highlights the potential impact on 84 riverside rafting and boating companies, risking investments worth billions of rupees in the tourism industry. River conservation activists and stakeholders echoed the sentiment that development efforts should not compromise the nation's natural wealth, urging a reconsideration of the project's implications on tourism and the environment.