A River Lost: The Sirsiya's Plight
The Sirsiya river, once a vital lifeline for residents in southern Nepal's industrial town of Birgunj, has become a public health hazard. The once-clear waters now resemble an open drain for factories, leaving behind a trail of pollution that spans across the border into India's Bihar state.
Environmental Degradation and Health Risks
The Sirsiya river, starting from the Ramban Jhadi forest in Bara district, flows through Nepal's largest industrial zone, the Bara-Parsa corridor. With approximately 1,200 small and large factories, the area has been a significant contributor to Nepal's economy. However, this economic growth has come at a severe environmental cost.
According to environmental chemist Binod Gupta, the pollution profile of the Sirsiya is complex, with various toxins from leather, chemical, and paper industries found in its waters. By the dry season, about 80% of the river's volume consists of industrial wastewater.
The impact on the river's ecosystem has been severe, with a study by researchers at B.R.A. Bihar University finding that once industrial waste entered the river, zooplankton communities, considered the foundation of aquatic ecosystems, would be almost entirely annihilated, turning the river into a biological desert.
Cultural and Spiritual Implications
For Hindu communities living along the banks of the Sirsiya, the river's decline is not just a health crisis but also a spiritual one. During the Chhath festival, devotees traditionally stand in the river to offer prayers to the sun. However, the number of people performing Chhath rituals in the Sirsiya has dropped sharply, with those who still do often suffering from skin ailments, allergies, and infections.
Regulatory Challenges and Diplomatic Issues
Article 30 of Nepal's Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live in a clean and healthy environment. However, ineffective environmental regulation and poor coordination among government agencies have allowed factories to dump untreated industrial waste into the river.
Once the river crosses the border into India at Raxaul, pollution becomes a diplomatic issue between the two countries sharing an open border. Indian officials acknowledge that unless waste flowing from Nepal is stopped, the river will never be clean.
Future Prospects and Community Action
Nepal's Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies has conducted a feasibility study for an effluent treatment plant for discharges from industries in the Birgunj-Pathlaiya section. However, the proposed treatment units require allocation from the federal budget, leaving residents like Pradeep Kumar Bishwokarma feeling frustrated.
In response, younger generations have taken matters into their own hands, with groups like the Save Sirsiya Movement delivering bottles of polluted water to government offices and hanging them on the doors of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
As the Sirsiya river continues to carry black water, flowing past homes, temples, fields, and across an international border, it serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for transboundary cooperation and effective environmental regulation.