Sanitation in Siddipur

In the farming community of Siddipur, five miles outside of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, WaterAid is helping the 6,000 residents choose from a variety of latrines to improve their sanitation, and consequently improve their health, cleanliness and personal security.

Before WaterAid's intervention, just forty percent of people here had their own latrine.  The remaining majority of the population had to use communal latrines falling into disrepair, or resort to open defecation which carried significant health risks for the whole community.

In collaboration with local organization ENPHO (Environment and Public Health Organisation) and the UN-Habitat under Water for Asian Cities (WAC) program, WaterAid's first step was to help establish community-based sanitation committees who could explain the different latrine options to their neighbors.

Options include building composting latrines that safely turn human excreta into fertilizer; household latrines that are connected to individual or shared cesspits; and communal latrine blocks.

Before when we didn't have the toilets we used to get sick with cholera, diarrhea and vomiting. This has improved now; our environment is cleaner and our level of knowledge is higher.

As Sharda Shrestha, a member of the sanitation committee explains, composting latrines are proving popular: "I advise people about the composting latrines, but as it's a farming community it isn't hard to explain the idea - people understand the idea of using waste to fertilize crops.  We conduct training and we explain the benefits to people."

However, cesspits and indoor composting latrines are also being taken up by those who prefer them or lack the space for external composting latrines.

"Only those that are interested in them have them - it is their own choice.  If people don't like the idea then they can have a toilet linked to a septic tank instead.  Lots of people have wanted the composting latrines but because of the lack of space and the lack of light we haven't been able to build them all, so have tried building some in houses as well - these are just trials."

Since construction of the latrines has begun Sharda Shrestha has witnessed widespread health improvements in the community.

She recollects, "Before when we didn't have the toilets we used to get sick with cholera, diarrhea and vomiting - especially in the summer.  This has improved dramatically now; our environment is cleaner and our level of knowledge is higher."

For Gyani Maya Maharjan, a community member who opted for a composting latrine, her family's latrine also means better security and an improved yield of home-grown vegetables. 
As she notes, "Before this I used to go in a public latrine - but this was very smelly and we wouldn't use it at night as we were scared.  Now it is very easy to use and we feel safe.

"The quality of the vegetables I grow has also improved and we don't have to buy manure any more.  The vegetables weren't that good before even with the manure.  Now the taste is better and they are easier to cook.  We used to have to buy produce at the market, but now we can just grow our own.

"There are many benefits - latrine is clean and convenient; we feel secure at night and have good quality vegetables."

The costs of the latrine construction are being split between the community itself, WaterAid and the WAC program.