A community tap has helped keep the settle- ment clean in Tallo Sarsi, Darchula

 

Tallo Sarsi of Marma Rural Municipality-6 in Darchula District  is one of the remotest settlements in Nepal. The village lacks proper road access, health, and communication facility. However, the community has a social unit that is active and works for the welfare of the people. Around  276  people of the Chhetri population group reside in this village. They are farmers, and most of the younger community members have rejected farming and migrated to India for better employment opportunities.

Initially, the sanitation status of the village was poor with a higher incidence of water-borne diseases, improper waste management, and open defecation practices. Although some communities had toilets, they did not use them regularly because of water scarcity. The community  also  lacked  information and awareness about sanitation and hygiene practices.

 Now, the scenario of Darchula has changed, following the implementation of the USAID-supported Safe WASH II Activity. The activity supported the community with a drinking water supply scheme along with regular awareness- raising meetings to highlight the importance of toilets as part of its sanitation and hygiene campaign in Far-west Nepal. The village has a public tap. Each household has a utensil dryer, a washing platform, waste pit, and toilet.

 “This village has changed completely. It is cleaner now. There is sufficient water. More people and children are using toilets regularly,” Dale Bista, a local resident, says with pride. He believes that if this sanitation and hygiene practices continue and spread to adjoining villages, the district will soon become healthy, happy, and prosperous.