Nepal, April 23 -- Sunkoshi and Bhotekoshi were once top-draw tourism destinations. The Bhotekoshi is one of the best white-water rafting rivers in Nepal, while the rafting route on the Sunkoshi River is the longest offered in the country. But over the years, the extraction of riverbed materials, the flow of drainage into the rivers and haphazard implementation of various projects have had serious negative impacts on these rivers and, consequently, the water tourism industry. And the damage is not limited to these two rivers. Many areas in the country are facing the illegal extraction of construction materials such as pebbles, stones and sand. The thoughtless exploitation of river-based resources has created many issues for the locals, in...