Better WASH for Healthy Nepal

ECCA has been organizing different environmental and educational program in different schools of Nepal since its establishment in 1987. Among them, Lalit Kalyan Lower Secondary School of Bholdhoka, Lalitpur, Nepal has set an example of a model school in the community. After implementing ECCA’s Safe Drinking Water Campaign, the school has been declared as “Safe Drinking Water” zone. But few years back, it was not like that.

The issue of water and sanitation in school is one of the most important aspects. In Nepal 6.5 million people still do not have access to drinking water and more than 10,500 children die each year due to preventable water and sanitation related diseases. Every year, a large number of school children fall prey to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. Unclean water leads to more deaths each year than war, and causes 80 percent of the world’s diseases. Almost all schools in Nepal receive their drinking water from nearby public water supply system or their own on-site well.

In Lalit kalyan Lower Secondary School there was severe scarcity of water. Hence ECCA supported the school for the construction of well to solve water crisis in the school. But the well water was very turbid and contaminated which was not suitable for drinking purpose. To make well water drinkable, bio sand filtration and chlorination facility was added in the school.

Nowadays a group of nature club students are producing chlorine in the school and are using it to disinfect drinking water. Water Quality Test of the school is done every six months and it was found that all the physical, chemical and biological parameters are within Nepal Standard. 17 staffs and 200 students get benefit from Safe Drinking Water Campaign in this school. Besides that they are also promoting safe drinking water in their community.

Mr. Ramesh Shrestha, principal of the school has stated that there is decrease of absentees in school due to the sickness related to water borne diseases. He also reported on improved knowledge on safe drinking water among students.

ECCA has been successful to some extent in improving hygienic environment of school by providing safe drinking water and creating awareness on use of safe drinking water for better livelihood.

Thank you all for your continued support and valuable contribution. We look forward towards receiving your feedback and suggestion.

Regards

Angel Chitrakar

Sr. Program Officer

angel@ecca.org.np