Baitadi, April 8:

Every morn, Janjali Sarki of Shreekot village development -6 goes out with a bottle of water to the open fields to relieve himself although his house boasts of a toilet.

Like Janjali, nearly all dalits of the village venture into the open for the purpose though they too have toilets in their homes.

They say if they went to the toilets in their homes, the wrath of their Kul Deuta (family deity) would fall on them.

They aver that their family deity dwells in the temple of Kedar, nearby their settlement. They argue were they to use the toilet at home, their livestock would perish, children would fall sick and the crop yield would decrease.

Five years ago a nongovernmental organisation called NEWA was moved by the plight of the dalits facing drinking water problems and provided them with piped drinking water.

NEWA also constructed toilets in each house of the community. NEWA provided subsidy in toilet equipment and technical support while the house owner had to pay for labour costs. NEWA started the Lokthala Drinking Water, Health and Sanitation Project in 2001 and it was completed in 2003.

Regional coordinator of NEWA (Dhangadhi), Hom Nath Acharya, said, they constructed some 150 toilets for the community. ‘These people are not using them for fear of the family deity’s ire,” said Acharya. “We plan to launch an awareness programme.”

A dalit Paruwa Bhul Sarki moaned, “I used the toilet in my home for a few days and one of my oxen fell down the hill. Crop produce decreased and hailstone damaged my crops. So now, we go to river for toilet purposes.”

Superstition and blind faith continue to prevent the dalits from using the toilets in their homes. The doors of all 150 toilets are locked. They are even afraid of urinating in the direction of the temple of Kedar, situated three kilometres from their settlement.