Tourism hub Kushma struggles with toilet crisis

By Sajan Pariyar,Parbat, May 10: The lack of public toilets has emerged as a serious problem in Kushma Bazaar, the headquarters of Parbat district, which has recently been developing as a hub for adventure tourism.

Hundreds of tourists visit Kushma daily to experience attractions such as suspension bridges, bungee jumping and ziplining, but the shortage of adequate public toilets for travellers and tourists has made the market area increasingly foul-smelling.

Kushma Bazaar serves as a major transit point for travellers from Parbat as well as Baglung, Myagdi and Mustang districts. Most vehicles travelling to and from these districts pass through Shivalaya Chowk in Kushma.

Although passengers travelling to different districts often stop at the chowk for some time, they face difficulties due to the lack of proper public toilet facilities.

In the past, drivers used to stop vehicles in open areas for passengers to relieve themselves, but such scenes are now less common. Travellers are instead forced to enter hotels or restaurants to use toilets. Passengers complain that in many cases they are allowed to use hotel toilets only after buying snacks or meals.

Resham Khadka, a traveller from Baglung, said, “The toilet at Shivalaya Chowk has only two cubicles for defecation. As soon as a vehicle stops, around 10 to 15 people queue up. There is always a fear of missing the vehicle while waiting for one’s turn. And when we go to hotels, we have to buy something to eat, otherwise we are not allowed to use the toilet.”

Vehicles from Pokhara take up to one and a half hours to reach Kushma, while passengers from Baglung, Myagdi and Mustang travel for half an hour to three hours before arriving there. 

Night buses usually reach Shivalaya Chowk early in the morning, but the inadequate public toilet facilities create further difficulties for passengers. 

Currently, only one basic public toilet is operating at Shivalaya Chowk. Built about 13 years ago, the two-room structure has now fallen into disrepair. Locals said that foul odours spread from the toilet due to the lack of a proper water supply system. 

Gori Pariyar, who manages the toilet, said the growing number of travellers and tourists has increased pressure on the narrow structure. “Earlier, we charged Rs. 5, but now the fee has been raised to Rs. 10. The same amount has to cover water supply, cleaning, septic tank maintenance and repairs,” she said.

According to business owners, it has become difficult to manage toilets in private hotels if customers use them without purchasing anything. They said expanding the capacity of public toilets has become essential.

Parbat district was declared an open defecation-free district on April 13, 2013, becoming the sixth such district in Nepal. However, locals said it is unfortunate that even after 13 years, Kushma, the district headquarters itself, still lacks well-managed public toilets.

With the recent rise in tourist arrivals, the need for sanitation and basic infrastructure in Kushma Bazaar has also increased. However, despite Kushma Municipality’s claim that it has prioritised sanitation under the Sustainable Development Goals, it has failed to give adequate attention to the construction of public toilets. 

Mayor of Kushma Municipality Ramchandra Joshi acknowledged the need for public toilets, saying the plan could not move forward as no budget had been allocated in the current fiscal year.