Kathmandu, May 31: Nepalese people who used to enjoying the sight of foreigners engaged in rafting in the Trishuli river as seen from the Prithvi Highway some years back are now themselves enjoying its thrilling experience.

According to available statistics, 40-45 thousand people take part in rafting in various rivers every year.

Such rafting takes place in various rivers of Nepal such as Tamor, Arun, Tamakoshi, Sunkoshi, Bhotekoshi, Trishuli, Marshyangdi, Seti, Kaligandaki, Bheri and Karnali.

There are about 80-85 rafting agents all over the country and 7-8 thousand people have found direct or indirect employment from this entrepreneurship.

A very exciting river journey, rafting is mostly enjoyed by teenagers rather than adults.

Some youths even venture out from home without informing their family and enjoy rafting in these big snow-fed rivers.

Many people in our country are deprived of the entertainment because of poor economic condition, risk involved in it and  the lack of knowledge about the enjoyment of rafting.

The Nepal Association of Rafting Agents (NARA) has been running various programmes to generate interest in the general public in rafting by making it more easily available.

In this connection, NARA organised a rafting from Balefi to chere in the Bhotekoshi river on Saturday.

Muna Gurung of Maharajgunj, Kathmandu who for the first time took part in rafting  said it was a pleasant and thrilling experience.

Asked whether she feared the river journey, she replied in the negative and added that she wanted to take part in rafting next year too because of the thrilling experience.

Two other girls from Kathmandu participating in the rafting said their journey too was very exciting.

The girls who wanted to remain anonymous due to their running away from home without informing their family said they did not fear the rafting but were anticipating big rapids since the very beginning of their journey.

They suggested that there should be separate space for the women to change their clothes and information should be given on rafting before boarding the raft.

Similarly, Will Ban De Berg of USA who has experience of rafting in various rivers in Nepal  such as Sunkoshi, Bhotekoshi and Trishuli says the rafting here is more thrilling owing to the good rapids in the rivers of Nepal.

Will Ban De Berg who is in Nepal in connection with his research for doctorate degree expressed the view that several efforts have been made in Nepal for the preservation of natural heritages.

My country too has a big rafting agencies, he said, adding that as Nepal has several snow- fed rivers it will help promote the river tourism.

Similarly, Cinnamon Stacey of Canada also likes rafting very much. Stacey who has already gone  on rafting for the 10th times in the rivers like Trishuli, Bhotekoshi, Kaligandaki during a short stay in Nepal, stresses the need to keep the rivers clean so as to promote rafting.

Rafting is popular in Canada, she said but the rafting there is more difficult for the water of the rivers are very cold.

NARA president Kumar Ranabhat says this kind of rafting festival is being organised every year with an objective of promoting domestic tourism in the country.

Mr Ranabhat stressed the need of good regulations for development of rafting, implementation of one door policy for charging rafting fees and to have representation of the NARA representative in the tariff board.

As we have many rivers suitable for rafting in our country, it will be great relief if the target of increasing foreign tourists by ten per cent annually is met through promotion of domestic tourism and generating rafting interest in more and more people by utilising the rivers that are the gift of nature to Nepal. But the parties concerned should be conscious that the rivers are not polluted while promoting the sport of rafting.