Most of them have been deeply affected by deforestation, sand mining and extraction of materials from the riverbed.
To meet the demand, traders have been engaging in haphazard extraction of sand and pebbles from the rivers in different parts of Nepal.
There is a great risk of various hazardous diseases spreading in human settlements located on the banks of polluted rivers.
The squatters are also responsible for polluting the riverbanks, and they are the first to get affected by their actions.
Protecting water resources and the existing rivers should be the prime concern of the related government ministries, agencies, civil society and every citizen.
The government of Nepal has unveiled many plans, the Supreme Court has handed down various rulings regarding water and the environment, many workshops and seminars have been held on water resource conservation and the importance of water has been included in the school curriculum, but, as usual, there is no effective implementation of what has been said and learned.
Every individual is responsible for the polluted rivers in their country.
When rivers have been given the legal status of human beings in a neighbouring country and other states and countries have taken action to protect their rivers, we should at least respect what nature has given us and protect what we have.
We should not forget that rivers give us hydropower to light our homes, water to drink, water to irrigate our crops and water for various other purposes.
We should ask them about their roles and responsibilities until there is proper implementation of a mechanism to protect and conserve rivers which, in some countries, are treated as human beings.

Drop in catch forced 80K fisherfolk to pull out sand in Thane.
“Locals who struggled to make ends meet were swayed away by the sand mafia to pull out sand illegally for quick money,” said Nandkumar Pawar, head, SEAP.
Several come from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand for employment opportunities.
Fishermen from Gaimukh, Mandve, Kemnidive, Kharbao, Kolshet, Kalher, Kasheli, Waghbil and others, all mostly in Thane and Palghar district, act as the mafia and allocate 12 labourers on each of their boats,” said Pawar.
It is collected and transported to the heads, who send it to industries for construction purposes,” he added.
The state government, in accordance with the national guidelines for sustainable sand mining has appointed district level committees to control illegal sand mining.
On Saturday, the Thane collector, MMB officials and Sumaira Abdulali from Awaaz Foundation inspected sites to for illegal sand mining at various locations in Thane district.
Raids will be carried out in the coming weeks under the supervision of the Thane collector, local police and MMB officers,” said a local MMB officer who accompanied the group.
There was no back up or protection,” she said adding, “The state has to use modern technology to implement policies that can track the extraction, transport and use of this sand.
“There are no boats to enter deep creeks or river areas, where the work is carried out.” State government officials said that the responsibility to reduce sand mining was solely upon the district collector.