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Kavre municipalities lag behind villages in curbing open defecation

Mon, 2014-05-05 10:40 — admin

Banepa, May 1, 2014: Nineteen Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Kavre district have already registered themselves as Open Defecation Free (ODF) free zone, but all the 3 municipalities which started off the campaign much earlier are still struggling to achieve that status. 
It is shocking that 97 households in Banepa municipality, which is just a few kilometers away from the capital, do not have toilets. Though it had said to have sped up the ODF free programs last year, the results have not been encouraging. 
“The houses which do not have toilets are the old ones. For newer ones, we carefully check the map before giving permission,” said Dhrubaraj Nepal, senior officer at the municipality. 
Banepa, home to around 25,000 people has 5,546 households. Most of the houses at wards 3, 4 and 11 lack toilets. The municipality had started ODF free campaign 3 years ago. 
Similarly, 176 households in Dhulikhel municipality are without toilets. According to Shree Birkram Byanju with social development department of the municipality, there are total of 3,269 households in here. 
“We have been providing Rs 2,500 as well as materials needed to make toilets to those who cannot afford to do it on their own. However, some people are too rigid; they are not for toilets,” said Byanju. “For instance, there is hardly any toilet in a Dalit community at ward number 7 where Kathmandu University is also located,” he added. 
Among 5,943 households in Panauti municipality, 547 still do not have toilets. 
In contrast, over the past two years, 19 among 87 VDCs in the district have been successful to achieve the coveted status of ODF free zone. 
Most of the villages are faring quite well in terms of cleanliness and sanitation as well. Thuloparsel, Puranagaun, Kolati Bhumlu, Dhunkharka, Madan Kudanri, Sharada, Batase, Mechhe, Chapakhori, Pokharinarayansthan, Sasyurkharka, Saramthali, Bolde Fechide, Hokse, Raviopi, Ugrachandi Nala, Ugratara Janagaal, Mahendrajyoti Baandol and Fanlate have been declared ODF free VDCs. 
“People defecating in open is a rare scene now. Not only all the households here have toilets, we make sure that they use them, too” said Bimal Sunar, Secretary at Ugratara Janagaal VDC, which was declared ODF free VDC just last week. “Social campaigning played major role in changing people’s habit. It was not easy to bring about the change.” 
According to a local leader of the village Ram Sharan KC, the people were provided with financial support along with pan and pipes for the toilets. 
Thanks to the cleanliness ensured by the villages, Ugrachandi Nala and Sarada Batase VDCs were selected by the government when it needed to show foreign delegates the progress Nepal was making regarding ODF issue. 
In the fifth South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SacoSan), the two VDCs had quite impressed the national and international visitors. 
Fifteen more VDCs are gearing up to be declared ODF free zone. (Source: Madhusudan Guragain, Myrepublica.com)  

Banepa, May 1, 2014: Nineteen Village Development Committees (VDCs) in Kavre district have already registered themselves as Open Defecation Free (ODF) free zone, but all the 3 municipalities which started off the campaign much earlier are still struggling to achieve that status. 

It is shocking that 97 households in Banepa municipality, which is just a few kilometers away from the capital, do not have toilets. Though it had said to have sped up the ODF free programs last year, the results have not been encouraging. 

“The houses which do not have toilets are the old ones. For newer ones, we carefully check the map before giving permission,” said Dhrubaraj Nepal, senior officer at the municipality. 

Banepa, home to around 25,000 people has 5,546 households. Most of the houses at wards 3, 4 and 11 lack toilets. The municipality had started ODF free campaign 3 years ago. 

Similarly, 176 households in Dhulikhel municipality are without toilets. According to Shree Birkram Byanju with social development department of the municipality, there are total of 3,269 households in here. 

“We have been providing Rs 2,500 as well as materials needed to make toilets to those who cannot afford to do it on their own. However, some people are too rigid; they are not for toilets,” said Byanju. “For instance, there is hardly any toilet in a Dalit community at ward number 7 where Kathmandu University is also located,” he added. 

Among 5,943 households in Panauti municipality, 547 still do not have toilets. 

In contrast, over the past two years, 19 among 87 VDCs in the district have been successful to achieve the coveted status of ODF free zone. 

Most of the villages are faring quite well in terms of cleanliness and sanitation as well. Thuloparsel, Puranagaun, Kolati Bhumlu, Dhunkharka, Madan Kudanri, Sharada, Batase, Mechhe, Chapakhori, Pokharinarayansthan, Sasyurkharka, Saramthali, Bolde Fechide, Hokse, Raviopi, Ugrachandi Nala, Ugratara Janagaal, Mahendrajyoti Baandol and Fanlate have been declared ODF free VDCs. 

“People defecating in open is a rare scene now. Not only all the households here have toilets, we make sure that they use them, too” said Bimal Sunar, Secretary at Ugratara Janagaal VDC, which was declared ODF free VDC just last week. “Social campaigning played major role in changing people’s habit. It was not easy to bring about the change.” 

According to a local leader of the village Ram Sharan KC, the people were provided with financial support along with pan and pipes for the toilets. 

Thanks to the cleanliness ensured by the villages, Ugrachandi Nala and Sarada Batase VDCs were selected by the government when it needed to show foreign delegates the progress Nepal was making regarding ODF issue. 

In the fifth South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SacoSan), the two VDCs had quite impressed the national and international visitors. 

Fifteen more VDCs are gearing up to be declared ODF free zone. (Source: Madhusudan Guragain, Myrepublica.com)  

01-01-1970 | Posted by Admin