By: Pratap Bista

Tistung (Makwanpur): There are toilets in every house in the remote settlement of Tistung but the roads and courtyards stink due to open defecation. No one in the area defecates in the toilet but on roads and courtyards. They use the concrete toilets near their houses as a storeroom for fodder and firewood or use it as a distillery to produce local wine.

Only 25 percent toilets constructed in 114 households of ward nos. 4 and 5 of Tistung are in use. A local teacher Gyan Chandra Shikari told that the toilets are not in use due to lack of public awareness on health and sanitation. Every household in Naganjaal, Nagcheda, Tallo Mahankaal and Mathillo Mahankaal had constructed concrete toilets in 2062 B.S with financial assistance worth Rs. 3,500 per household from Plan Makwanpur and technical support of Rado Nepal.
A local of Tallo Mahankaal Sher Bahadur Syangtan said, “We can defecate anywhere in the open but the fodder will get rotten if we do not keep them in the toilets safe from rain.” Locals of Mahankaal are using toilets as storeroom to keep fodder and firewood. Many locals of Nagcheda and Naganjaal are using toilets as distillery to produce wine. A technician of Rado Nepal said, “The locals are completely ignorant about sanitation.”

Source: Kantipur, June 2, 2008