The former VDCs included in both rural municipalities were declared open defecation-free by the then District Development Committee, Makawanpur, on various dates in 2069 BS.
What you should know
Makawanpur was declared an open defecation-free district 12 years ago. However, more than 20 percent of households in two rural municipalities of Makawanpur still lack toilets.
Nearly two thousand households in Raksirang and Kailash rural municipalities of the district are using forests and streams as toilets. Out of 5 thousand 44 households in Raksirang rural municipality, 1 thousand 3 households are without toilets, while out of 3 thousand 905 households in Kailash rural municipality, 7 hundred 81 households do not have toilets.
The former VDCs included in both rural municipalities were declared open defecation-free by the then District Development Committee Makawanpur on various dates in 2069 BS. During the declaration, some households in the former VDCs included in those two rural municipalities did not have toilets, and were declared open defecation-free on the condition that they be built.
Rado Nepal Chairman Dr., who played an active role in the campaign to declare the district open defecation-free, said: Krishna Dhital said, "The houses of the residents of the former VDCs Bharata, Dadakharka, Sarikhet, Khairang, and Kakda, which are included in Kailash and Raksirang rural municipalities, did not have toilets built in them. They were declared open defecation-free on the condition of building them. Even now, toilets are not built in those houses." Makawanpur district was declared open defecation-free on 4th Shrawan 2070 BS.
Kailash and Raksirang rural municipalities, which are dominated by the Chepang community, have distributed toilet cards to make it mandatory for all houses to build toilets. The ward and municipality that resides in that house will give recommendations to those who do not have them, and will not give recommendations to those who do not have them.
‘We have made it mandatory to bring a toilet card with you when you come to the ward office or municipality for any recommendation,’ said Raksirang Rural Municipality Chairman Rajkumar Malla. ‘The ward office monitors those who have toilets at home and gives them toilet cards.’
Kailash Rural Municipality, which is connected to Raksirang Gapa, has also been distributing toilet cards. It has adopted a policy of not making any recommendations to families without toilets. Gapa Chairman Lok Bahadur Moktan said that the municipality has been doing both its own support and seeking donors to build toilets. We have launched a campaign to build toilets in all households in the municipality,’ he said.
Raksirang Rural Municipality Health Branch Chief Vijay Kumar Kapri believes that toilets have not been built in all homes in the municipality due to poverty and lack of awareness. ‘Every year, most of the patients with diarrhea are members of families without toilets,’ he said. Materials have been provided to 20 households in Khirki, Ward No. 3 of Kailash Rural Municipality.
Child Development Program Nepal has provided toilet construction materials to 20 households for the construction of toilets in this area, which is densely populated by the marginalized Chepang community and Tamang caste. An agreement has been reached to complete the construction of toilets within 25 days of handing over the materials. ‘We have launched the toilet construction campaign because uncontrolled defecation and urination, especially water-borne diseases, cause diseases,’ said Kailash Gapa Vice President Bal Kumar Malla.
