Prime time radio show on water and sanitation

 
The evening slot of 7.30pm is the peak of primetime for Radio Sagarmatha, a radio station listened to by half of the population of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley and many more in rural areas.  Every Wednesday evening listeners tune in then to hear Pani Ra Sarsaphai, a magazine-based program dedicated to water and sanitation issues.

In a country where close to two thirds of the population do not have an adequate toilet, and water problems range from rural villagers having to trek hours to remote mountain springs to fetch water to erratic water supplies in urban areas, there is no shortage of issues for discussion.

Radio is a great way of reaching the whole population.  Everyone from non-literate workers in the fields to government ministers tune in.

Features on the show range from pieces calling on the government to implement changes to water and sanitation policies, to public service announcements raising awareness of the need to practice good hygiene and conserve water, to slots giving every day people air time to describe the water and sanitation issues in their own lives.

The show's listenership includes people from all walks of life as Rishi Acharya, one of the show's producers and presenters, described:

"Radio is very popular here and it's a great way of reaching the whole population.  Poor road links here make newspaper distribution difficult, and TV is not easy to broadcast and TVs are expensive. But people can buy a radio from around 60 Nepalese rupees [US$1].  Everyone from non-literate workers in the fields to government ministers tune in."   

The high degree of audience participation in debates and phone-ins means the program, which is supported by WaterAid, is playing a valuable role in connecting policymakers with the real issues on the ground.

The results are tangible improvements to water and sanitation services, as Acharya describes:

"We have done a lot of advocacy on the show and have contributed to the achievement of major milestones, such as the agreement of the government to draft a sanitation master plan.   This will be an important step in improving coordination in the sector."

"At grass roots level we are having an impact too through airing issues affecting our listeners.  In Kathmandu, the water supply was very irregular and the water authorities were not announcing to the public when the water would flow.  We repeatedly spoke about this on the show and now there is a regular water supply timetable."

"We also talk about budget issues.  There is not enough money dedicated to water and sanitation.  We explored this issue on the show: we interviewed the Minister of Finance, civil society organizations and parliamentarians.  Following this, the government announced a separate budget of 50 million Nepalese rupees."

Sagarmatha Radio is now helping local radio stations across Nepal to set up similar programs.  They recently invited 15 local reporters to Kathmandu for training in community based programs.  Some of these reporters are already sending in reports to be used on the show, while others are broadcasting similar programs in their own areas.

Visit Sagarmatha Radio's website.
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