Water Resources in Nepal
We are very fortunate that God has been very kind to our country to provide her unlimited natural resources. Nepal is the second richest country in water resources in the world after Brazil. We can see many rivers, rivulets, brooks streams, water falls, lakes and small springs. But as we all know among them, rivers are the most important water resources in Nepal as there are more than six thousand rivers and its tributaries. That is why they make us rich in water resources.
The prominent rivers in Nepal are Mechi, Koshi, Karnali, Bagmati, Narayani, Gandaki and Mahakali. Among them, the Koshi, in the eastern part of the country is the largest, the Narayani is the deepest and the Karnali, in the western part of the nation is the longest rivers in Nepal. The major lakes are Mahendra Tal, Begnas Tal and Phewa Tal. Similarly, there are innumerable brooks, streams and springs in our country. Snow-covered mountain peaks and the lakes are the permanent water resources of rivers, lakes and rivulets. The main origin of these rivers, brooks and springs is the mountains situated in the northern part of the nation.
As we all know that our life is closely related to the water resources and we human beings as well as all the animals in the Earth cannot live without water. All of the water resources available in the nation play a vital role in the development of the country. Our country has produced only small amount of hydro-electricity using the water of the rivers, rivulets and streams. Although these water resources have a great potential of producing high amount of hydro-electricity. About 83000 Megawatts of hydro-electricity can be produced in our country. We use water for irrigation, cooking, washing, drinking, swimming and many more purposes. They are also important for transportation and entertainment. Nowadays, many people enjoy boating on lakes and rafting in rivers. Rivers also play the role of regional and national boundaries of any particular country. The agriculture of Nepal can be improved by providing adequate irrigation and if adequate irrigation system is implemented then the production of agricultural products can increase in a rapid way. In this way, our country Nepal can be highly independent in agriculture. We don't have to import agricultural products from foreign countries. As a result, the economic status of our country can be increased.
Specially the rivers which flow through or near the cities are rapidly getting polluted. Similarly, the lakes, springs, brooks and small stream have got polluted because of the different activities of human beings. Urbanization and industrialization are said to be the main causes of pollution of water resources. We can see that 'Phewa Tal' in Pokhara is getting polluted day by day rapidly. The Bagmati and the Bishnumati in Kathmandu seem to be no more rivers; rather they seem to be dirty drainage in the past but now, they look neat and clean in some extent. It is because of the awareness of the people as well as the campaigns and programmes organized by many clubs, organizations and youth groups. The resources of water are getting badly affected these days. Because of rapid deforestation, water amount in rivers has been decreasing.
We can preserve water resources in many ways by applying some water preservation methods in our country. Firstly and the most importantly, all the open and barren lands and fields should be afforested. The existing forest should be preserved at any cost. We can preserve the rivers, streams and lakes in the urban areas by making drains along the sides of the rivers flowing near the cities and towns. Similarly, unwanted waste products of the factory, garbages and dirt should be properly managed. The factories and industries should be run far away from the residential areas. Similarly, the high population growth rate should be controlled on time.
If we preserve our valuable and precious God gifted water resources, we can earn foreign currency. The rivers in Nepal are suitable for rafting. And it is also the fact that we can produce more hydro-electricity than we need; it can be sold to the neighboring countries. As a result, we can earn foreign currency. The future of our nation depends on the proper utilization of water resources.
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