Nearby houses and restaurants with toilets of their own can come in handy if the owners are in a helpful frame of mind. Otherwise the makeshift toilet is the only option.Originally from Fulpingkatti VDC of Sindhupalchowk district, these displaced families have been reeling under this toilet crunch for more than two weeks now.
Terrified by the April 25 earthquake, more than 200 people from Sindhupalchowk have moved to the Boudha-6 area since May 16. They have managed to erect makeshift tents out of bamboo in an open field. But the problem of insufficient toilets has added to their misery.
"Going to the toilet is a long wait. We generally let the emergency cases go first and make the others wait if they can. This is the only toilet we have here and cooperating with each other is our only option," said Pemba Sherpa, 45.
"Some restaurants in the neighborhood that have toilets of their own have been letting us use those facilities in peak situations. Otherwise, this makeshift toilet is our only choice," he added.
The makeshift toilet, which is big enough for more than two people when they stand, has been constructed with four stands of bamboo and a tarp wrapped around it. A section has been left open for a door and a squat toilet has been placed in the middle. To everyone's delight, a water pump has been installed near the toilet.
According to Sherpa, the toilet was put in by the locals and the toilet outlet has been directly connected with a septic tank under the ground. Though it is essentail to erect more such toilets, that simply did not happen and the quake displaced in the settlement are having to simply make do.
"The waiting line in the morning around 6 a.m.-7 a.m. is just crazy. Every minute counts. The scenario is no different in the evening," said Kami Sherpa, another displaced from Sindhupalchowk.
With a single toilet available, women and the elderly have been badly affected and mensturating girls and women are the hardest hit. According to Lakpa Sherpa, 65, more than a quarter of the displaced here are females and dozens of them quite advanced in years.
For Lakpa herself, going to the toilet is very challenging as she can hardly bent down. "For men it is comparatively easier. For the women, not having a toilet nearby is a huge problem. So far, some locals and restaurants have been kind to us, though some indeed are rude. For the longer run, we will need more toilets," she said.
The plight of 16-year-old Devi Tamang is a little different. "I always take my little sister with me when I go to the toilet. It's more scary at night," she said.
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