“We have been using the toilet as a storehouse to keep grass and other things, for urination and defecation we go to open areas,” grinned an 80-year-old Harilal BK, a resident of Pipalla in the district headquarters Dipayal. [break]“We are used to going to open areas, basically the river bank of Seti to relieve ourselves, it is difficult to change the habit now.”
DFID has built 40 toilets in the community. However, none of the households are using these toilets.
Fodder stored in a toilet. (Photo: Pushpa Raj Joshi)
“Nobody likes to go to toilet as they did it in open all their life,” reiterated another local Baji Damai. Damai who commands respect in the community added that his attempt to convince tothers were futile. “It is getting difficult to change people´s habit. They feel easier to use open areas rather than toilet.”
Damai further added that many people had even sold off the toilet parts. “Some 10 families took off the toilet pan and other parts.”
Yet another local Maha BK stated that since his family was not going use the toilet, he thought it better to destroy the building. “It was unnecessarily occupying space so I just demolished it,” he said.
According to an organization involved in the toilet construction, the community had taken the project positively earlier, but did not make use of the toilets. “They had even helped us with cash amount and they were really excited, but while it came to using it, they disappointed us,” said Parbati Chand, president of Nari Jagaran.
According to Laxmi BK, the locals are still using the toilets but for different purpose. “We keep hey, grass and so on there. It is really helpful during the rainy season,” she said.
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