By Abinash Chaudhary
Dhangadi, Nov. 3: It has been a long time since Bali Sahani, 58, has sacrificed his sleep in the morning. He goes out to fish in the Mohana River every morning at around 3 am.
As long as it is bright, the glow of happiness on Sahani's face comes only if he catches enough fish. "If I can't catch enough fish, I can't make a living," he said. "I am raising my family by selling fish caught in this river."
Sahani from Sarlahi has been fishing in Kailali for two decades. He has been making a living by fishing in the Mohana River since 2057 BS.
Even if there is little land in Sarlahi, it is not enough to make a living, he said, adding that he lives on the river bank in Kailali for nine months after completing three months of farming.
The bank of the Mohana River is the temporary residence for Sahani. He said that he lived on the banks of the river by hanging tripods wherever there are more fish for fishing.
According to Sahani, more fish are found in the river at around 3 am than in the afternoon. So you have to go fishing at night with a net, he said.
"If you don't go in the morning, you can't fish as much as you want," he said. He said that he comes to Kailali from Sarlahi to earn a living for his five-member family.
Even though he goes fishing in the afternoon, he catches less fish during the day than at night. Therefore, he is more active at night to catch more fish.
He has no problem in selling fishes he catches from the river. People reach the river bank to buy local species of fish found in the river.
He is selling small (tilori) fish at Rs. 250 per kg this year. "I am selling up to 6 to 7 kilograms of fish daily. Some days I don’t get any fish at all,” he said.
Sahani has been earning up to Rs 120,000 a season by fishing in the Mohana River. He said that it had made easier for him to manage living of his family. He, however, said that fishing was not easy and he caught fish by putting his life at risk.
"Fishing is not easy. Once time, I had had to struggle for survival,” he said.
According to Sahni, he was attacked by a crocodile while fishing at Gulariya Ghat in Bhajani Municipality three years ago.
He could not walk for a month when he was bitten by a crocodile on his left leg. "When the crocodile bit me, I grabbed its leg and hit on the head," he said. “I escaped death narrowly.” He has stains of his wounds.
This year, Sahani has been given the right to fish in the Mohana River from Khonpur Ghat to Lattha Ghat in Kailari village. He has won a contract to fish in the area.
Fisherman Sahani has been given a contract to fish in the river for four years at a cost of Rs. 8,000, said Kamal Prasad Chaudhary, spokesperson of Kailari Gaunpalika.