At the River’s Edge: Dhading’s Sand Workers Risk Their Lives for a Living

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At the River’s Edge: Dhading’s Sand Workers Risk Their Lives for a Living

At the River’s Edge: Dhading’s Sand Workers Risk Their Lives for a Living

Ganesh Khatiwada 2026-08-19 10:41:00

Dhading, Nepal - Every day, along the Kolpukhola and Trishuli River corridors of Dhading, workers enter fast-moving and unpredictable waters to collect sand and other riverbed materials-work that provides a livelihood for vulnerable families but can expose them to serious risks.
The photograph shows workers wading deep into the river, carrying baskets of sand from the riverbed while trucks wait along the bank. For many, this is not simply a business opportunity; it is a means of survival in the absence of safer and more secure employment.
However, when extraction is carried out without the required permissions, environmental assessments or safety standards, the livelihood comes at a heavy cost. Unregulated extraction can alter river channels, destabilise banks, increase sediment disturbance and damage aquatic and riparian ecosystems.
Dhading has a long-documented history of concerns over illegal and poorly regulated sand extraction along the Trishuli and surrounding rivers. Reports have previously documented illegal sand mines and extraction sites around several settlements along the Prithvi Highway, while government and environmental assessments have highlighted the environmental impacts associated with riverbed extraction and sand-washing activities.
The issue is not simply about stopping workers from entering the river. It is about addressing why people are forced to undertake dangerous work in the first place, while ensuring that the extraction of public river resources is conducted legally, sustainably and transparently.
Nepal’s rivers are vital ecological systems as well as sources of construction materials. Their sustainable management requires effective licensing, environmental assessment, regular monitoring, responsible extraction limits and strict enforcement against illegal operations. Nepal’s Supreme Court has also previously issued orders concerning unlawful extraction of riverbed materials from the Trishuli and Tadi rivers and the need to protect the environment.
Recent local reporting has again raised concerns over alleged illegal sand extraction from the Trishuli in Dhading, demonstrating that the challenge remains relevant.
Behind every basket of sand is a human story. Workers need safe employment and fair opportunities-not a choice between poverty and risking their lives in a river.
Protecting Dhading’s rivers therefore means protecting both nature and the people whose lives depend on it.
Photo: Workers collecting sand from the river in Dhading.
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