Stakeholders have voiced concerns over the proposed Trishuli Hydropower Project, citing effects on the thriving rafting industry along the Trishuli River.

In a public hearing held at Fisling of Ichcha Kamana Rural Municipality, provincial assembly member Krishna Silwal emphasized the importance of balancing development with environmental preservation, pledging efforts to halt the project to safeguard the river’s integrity.

Shiva Adhikari, President of Nepal Rafting Association, raised concerns over the livelihoods of thousands dependent on riverside rafting and boating businesses with 84 companies and over 13,500 workers being affected by it.

Megh Aley, Chairman of Nepal River Conservation Trust, echoed about the project’s potential repercussions on tourism and emphasized the irreplaceable value of Nepal’s natural wealth.

Earlier protests by the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA) highlighted the risk of losing significant investments in the rafting tourism sector due to the construction of hydroelectric projects like the Trishuli Hydropower Project.