THE RIVERS OF NEPAL

A tiny mountainous country Nepal is rich in water resources. Some of them are the rushing torrents, tranquil lakes, splashing rivers, unique springs and underground water resources. There are many rivers in Nepal. The main rivers are Mechi, Koshi, Bagmati, Narayani, Gandaki, Rapti, Mahakali etc. The biggest river in Nepal is Koshi, the deepest is Narayani and the longest is Karnali. Most of the rivers in Nepal rise from mountains.

The Koshi:

The Koshi flows in the eastern part of the Nepal. It is the largest river in the Nepal. It is actually a confluence of 7 rivers because of which it has been called ‘Saptakoshi’. The seven tributaries of the Koshi are:

1. Arun
2. Tamur
3. Dudhkoshi
4. Likhu
5. Tamakoshi
6. Bhotekoshi

When Bhotekoshi meets with Indrawati, it is called Sunkoshi. Among these rivers, the Arun is the largest and the Likhu is the smallest one.

The Gandaki:

The Gandaki flows through the central part of the Nepal. It is also called ‘Saptagandaki’ because of its seven tributaries, which are as follows:

1. Trishuli
2. Kaligandaki
3. Buddhigandaki
4. Daraundi
5. Setigandaki
6. Madi
7. Marshyangdi

Among these rivers, Kaligandaki is the largest and the Daraundi is the smallest. At the confluence, near Deoghat where all the tributaries meet, the river takes its name as Narayani.

The Karnali:

The Karnali is the longest river of Nepal. It is one of the main sources of water for the western part of the Nepal. The six tributaries of the Karnali are:

i. Sani Bheri

ii. Thuli Bheri

iii. Mugu Karnali

iv. Humla Karnali

v. Ganga

vi. Seti

When the Sani Bheri meets with the Thuli Bheri it is called the ‘Bheri’.

Some other important rivers are the Bagmati, the Kankai, the Kamala, the Mahakali and the Rapti. The Mahakali serves as the western boundary between Nepal and India, while the Mechi forms the eastern boundary with India.

There are actually two rivers both of which are known by the same name, the Rapti. One flows through Rolpa, Pyuthan, Dang and Banke districts while the other flows through Makawanpur and Chitwan districts. Similary, one Seti river flows in Seti Zone and the other Seti flows in Gandaki Zone.

Rivers are very useful in country. People can irrigate their farms and run many hydroelectricity projects by using water. Many tourists come to entertain boating and rafting.