By Our Correspondent
Sankhuwasabha, Dec. 23: The nation was declared open defecation-free (ODF) on September 30, 2019. With this declaration, Nepal is supposed to become the first South Asian country to achieve the status.
But the reality is otherwise in Khandbari of Sankhuwasabha. There is no public toilet in Khandbari, the district headquarters of Sankhuwasabha.
The people who arrive there from villages for various works often face difficulties for lack of a public toilet, forcing them to defecate in the open market area.

Khabar Man Rai, regular visitor to Khandbari from Sabhapokhari, said that they had to reach the hotel where they stayed the previous night if they need to empty their bowls or even urinate while engaging in their businesses in the market area.
Most of the people have to search for empty or peaceful area to answer the nature’s call. The house owners or hotel owners of the area do not allow the people to use their toilet, said Rai.

There is no public toilet in the entire area from new market, the main market of Khandbari, to the Police Office.
A small toilet has been built at the Tundikhel area where the farmers sell their goods every Saturday, but it is totally useless. A public toilet without water has no meaning, a local said.

Bus Park, which is located at a distance of around 100 metres from Tundikhel and through which hundreds of people pass daily, also has no public toilet.
The travellers, who arrive in Khandbari after travelling hours often, complain about a lack of public toilet in the district headquarters. They face a big trouble after getting off the buses.

Umesh Rai, a staff of bus park counter, said, “We become speechless when passengers ask us about the public toilets”.
The visitors as well as city dwellers said that they would feel a huge relief from the nagging problem if at least two toilets are built in the main market areas.

People will get some relief if the concerned authority builds two toilets at Bus Park area and Pokhari market area, said Lila Ram Rai, who arrived in Khandbari from Bhojpur.
Suman Shakya, chief of District Coordination Committee, said that he repeatedly asked the municipality to manage public toilets and safe drinking water in the city area, but in vain.

Deputy Mayor of Khandbari Municipality Dogeshwor Shrestha said that building public toilets had been given a priority. The municipality has a plan to build several public toilets at the most crowded areas after managing resources, he added.