Flood victims forced to sneak into neighbours’ toilets to defecate

By Bomlal Giri,Nawalpur, May 20: In Devchuli Municipality-2 Damkauli, Nawalpur, lives the family of Jitini Majhi -- her son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. In the morning, her family members wander around the village, searching for an open toilet door. They are obliged to use whichever toilet they find open. 

The situation of Lila Pariyar’s family members in the same settlement is same. Lila Pariyar who earns a living through labour work, has a family consisting of himself and his three children. 

Pariyar said, “When I go for work, I relieve myself whenever I can find a place, but at home it’s a problem. We use whoever’s toilet is available. My children do the same.” 

His wife is in Kuwait for foreign employment. He plans to build a toilet at their home with the money she sends.

In Devchuli-2 Damkauli, nearly 400 people are compelled to rely on other’s toilet. According to ward member Haribhakta Shrestha, there are approximately 140 households with a population of 700. Out of these, only 60 households have toilet, leaving around 400 people on others’ toilet for defacation. 

This is a flood-victim squatter settlement. The Narayani flood victims from Rajahar and Pithauli villages were relocated here in 2006 AD. Inhabited by the Majhi, Musahar and Bote communities, this settlement has been without toilet for 19 years. 

Jatini Majhi shares that the lack of toilet has caused a lot of suffering. The 120 households of flood victims have their names registered. The number of families now has increased to 140. 

Despite widespread declaration of open defecation free zones, Ward No 2 chairperson Sarad Prasad Ghimire stated that the lack of toilets for such a large population is unfortunate. 

“We have taken some initiatives, but we haven’t been able to convert them as campaign,” Ghimire said. “Rastriya Aawas Company has not provided land ownership certificates which has also prevented us from moving forward with toilet construction as a campaign.” 

Ward mbember Haribhakta Shrestha said the weak economic condition prevents residents of Devchuli-2, Damkauli squatter settlement from building toilets. 

“We work as labourers all day, and by evening we barely make our ends meet. Building a toilet isn’t even a priority,” said one local. 

Nara Bahadur Musahar shared that he couldn’t build a toilet due to lack of money. “When problems arise we manage somehow, but when it’s even hard to cover evening meal after a day labour, how can we afford to build a toilet?” Musahar said.

However, families getting money from family members abroad are building toilets.

Economic constraints prevent toilet construction. But locals also mention the lack of sufficient land as an issue. 

Ward member Shrestha stated that some of the residents couldn’t build toilets due to the lack of space. Although Rastriya Aawas Company allocated land for 120 households at 10 dhur per household, some plots are bigger than others encroaching certain households without enough space to build toilets.

Young people go to places like Gulmi and Pokhara for labour work while 30 women have migrated to gulf countries for foreign employment. 

Previously, the Majhi and Musahar communities relied on fishing for their livelihood, but the youth have abandoned it due to better earning opportunities elsewhere and the process of Chitwan National Park, leading them to gradually leave their ancestral work.

 “There is no employment. Sometimes we get labour work for a day, but we have to sit idle for five days,” said Lila Pariyar. “There is a big factory right in front of our house, but we don’t get work. Only other day, four of us went for labour work, but since then, I’ve been sitting at home for five days without any work.”  

Another youth Nara Bahadur Musahar also shared grievance, saying he gave up fishing to take labour work but struggles to find steady employment.