No Open Latrines Please!

Tuesday 17th March 2009

Celebration in Meghauli! Chitwan declared No Open Latrine Zone!

On 20th April 2009, there was a grand festival in Meghauli, a VDC area in Western Chitwan. It was held to celebrate the area being declared a “ No Open Latrine Zone” on a programme organised by Clinic Nepal and the VDC. Two bands, the students of the local schools, the members of the VDC, the staff of Clinic Nepal and local villagers celebrated with the chief guest, the Local District Development Official, in a temperature of 40°C.

It had taken six years of struggle to arrive at this day, but we got there. The Meghauli VDC area was declared a “ No Open Latrine Zone”. More than one thousand people participated to create the successful outcome of this programme.

When Clinic Nepal, Chairman Hari Bhandary, established the Medical Clinic in Meghauli in 1997, it was found that more than 40% of illness was due to waterborne diseases. Therefore the distribution of medicine could not be the complete answer. Much of the solution to reducing illness must be found in establishing clean water, sanitation and improved hygiene. In other words, prevention rather than cure. Clinic Nepal launched a campaign to create a clean water and sanitation scheme. After approaching many organisations and individuals for help, Water Aid UK plus some UK citizens agreed to financially support his project.

Peter Shore, UK, already a staunch supporter of Clinic Nepal, encouraged his family and friends to give financial aid over the years to this project. In this way, finance from UK paid for the project. Local villagers contributed local materials and worked voluntarily to build wells and toilets. NEWAH gave technical support while Clinic Nepal co-ordinated and led the project.

There are 2,861 households with a population of 16,545 in Meghauli VDC area. Before the start of this project there were only about 400 toilets in existence. Now all 2,861 households have toilets. Also pumps and wells for clean water have been established so that there is clean water from a pump serving each five to ten households.

Chitwan district has 41 VDC’s, of which four now are declared as “ No Open Latrine Zones.” Meghauli being the fourth of these VDC areas but the only one to build actual concrete toilets.

So there was good reason for the people of Meghauli to happily celebrate this successful progress in clean water and sanitation with a resultant reduction in illness and poor health, and what better way than to have a festival!