FAQ ??

ODF Nepal- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

(प्रायः सोधिने प्रश्नहरू नेपाली भाषाका लागि यँहा क्लिक गर्नुहाेस्)

1. Who constructed toilets?

In line with the Sanitation and Hygiene Master Plan, the ODF campaign always moved as a non-subsidy campaign. People constructed toilets on their own cost meeting minimum standard. In some community, local levels (VDC/Municipality, Palikas) supported for toilet materials-- mainly external materials (Pan, rings, pipes, etc) for the poorest of poor family based on the recommendation of V/M-WASH-CC. Sector agency involved in the field helped people to be ready to construct toilet. As the campaign started, people moved in their own.

2. How the VDC/Municipality/Palika was declared ODF?

Local Levels were declared as ODF when all HH in the territory constructed and used the toilet. V/M-WASH-CC requested to D-WASH-CC for monitoring and validation. D-WASH-C monitored, validated and approved for ODF declaration. Monitoring team of D-WASHCC involved officials from the District Administration Office, Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) and other journalists who are the watchdogs in the district. V-WASH-CC organized declaration ceremony. It is actually an oath-taking ceremony by the people that they will not defecate in the open & use toilet, will not let any other to do open defecation in their territory. It is basically people who declare their territory as ODF, other agencies and guests are just a witness of the ceremony.

3. How the district was declared ODF?

When all of the VDC/Municipality/Palikas in the districts were declared ODF, DWASHCC requested regional or provincial Level WASH-CC (R-WASH-CC/P-WASH-CC) for validation. After the due process (monitoring), it was approved for declaration. D-WASH-CC declared district as an ODF with a grand ceremony.

Before, state restructuring, V-WASHCC was chaired by the chair of local body (in absence by Secretary), D-WASH-CC by chair of DDC (in absence LDO ) and R-WASH-CC by Regional Administrator of Ministry of Home. Now the Palika WASH-CC are chaired by the chief or the Palika while it is secretary of Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development at Pradesh-WASH-CC and in some case it is Chief Secretary of the Province. Coordination committees are always inter agencies.

4. How the county will be declared ODF?

When all the districts of the country will be declared as ODF, National Sanitation and Hygiene Steering Committee will prepare for a country declaration program. The committee has set a target to declare the country as ODF on 13^th Asoj 2076. MoWS as a lead ministry will organize the ceremony based on preparation done by the Preparatory Working Group (PWG) formed by joint sector agencies.

5. Is it a new concept of Nepal?

Developed countries mostly have 100% coverage of toilets but there is no system for declaring as ODF. South Asian countries started ODF concepts through SACOSAN conferences. Other regions in the world also have a similar system. So far, countries moving with concept of ODF have not declared whole country as ODF.

SDG assumed ODF as the initial target towards total sanitation. It has not developed criteria for declaring the country as ODF. It will be matter of discussion when Nepal declares ODF.

Anyway, there will not be any process involving external evaluation on ODF. It is commonly accepted criteria that progress on water sanitation will be based on a result of population survey carried by the country. External evaluation can be carried for particular program or program development purpose only.

6. Some district were declared ODF before ten years. How to become sure that they are still in ODF status?

Nepal will conduct a census survey in 2020. Sanitation status will also be included. The real situation of Palikas will come after then. Palika have one year of time to prove or validate their quality of ODF in their Palika.

7. What happens if any of the Palika fails?

Government/sector will come out with criteria for acceptance as ODF with some tolerance. However, there will be some warning system for improvement within some time period. This is a matter of discussion. The global sector can also have similar approaches. Global studies say sanitation will not be effective below 98%. However, tolerance should not be more than one percent for the country.

8. What percentage of slippage is likely in Nepal?

A nationwide survey has not been carried so far. Since the foundation of sanitation campaign in Nepal is based on intervention to behavioral, socio-cultural and technical barriers than direct intervention to toilet construction. In that context slippage is less likely and easy to control at Palika levels.

9. Can Palika control open defecation?

Palika always can regulate for open defecation under environmental regulation. But, it will be possible only when all HH have toilets. The municipality also needs to construct sufficient public toilets and regulate all kind of business activities to have sufficient toilets.

10.What is the meaning of ODF if the fecal sludge is flowing to a river or solid waste is not yet managed?

Movement of Nepal is for Total sanitation (aiming Clean Nepal). ODF or constructing toilet is just a preliminary requisite of sanitation campaign. Sanitation campaign moved fast with the force of people and leadership of local bodies with an aim to declare ODF. Hence, ODF campaign targeted that every household has toilet and no need to go for open defecation. If there is insufficient provision of toilets at public places and workspaces people may have to go to open defecation when they are out of house. This is matter of control by Palikas. ODF declaration part helps them control OD and partly add responsibility to add facilities.

11.Can DWASHCC declare district ODF forcefully?

No. Every Palikas must declare ODF formally. Some Palikas may have declared ODF in the same ceremony of District ODF declaration to minimize the cost of the ceremony. Few districts who declared ODF recently or declaring soon were in 100% coverage from a few years back. But some of the Palikas did not like to declare and the process of district declaration stopped. This is a process controlled by many agencies. It is not a matter of one sector or one line agencies or one level only.

12.What happens after the country ODF declaration?

ODF declaration means declaring country free from open defecation principally. If there is any slippage, Palika needs to control. ODF declaration ceremony will also put forward strategy for Total sanitation. Each of the Palika needs to make vision and plan for clean Palika covering household and environmental sanitation. Household sanitation covers five indicators mainly: Knowledge and practices of handwashing, safe water, safe food, waste management within house and use of the toilet. This is responsibility of Households. Palika needs to make a program for motivation and facilitation. Similarly Palika needs to make vision and plan for clean Palika with five indicators mainly: ODF with sufficient public toilets and sludge management, Liquid waste management, solid waste management, water safety plan, and greenness. This is responsibility of Palika with peoples' participation as required.

13.How to move towards total sanitation?

It may not move in the same way as it moved for ODF. HH sanitation is difficult to measure. Environment sanitation involves a lot of investment and management continuously. Since Palikas have authority and resources they can have it gradually if proper guidance is provided.

14.What is the role of NGO who gained knowledge in ODF movement?

NGOs can still play a role for motivating people for Total sanitation at HH level covering a Palika. Based on their funding capacity and technical capacity they can support one or more municipality for one or more aspects of environmental sanitation.

15.Does Palika need to declare as total sanitation Palika?

After meeting minimum standards, Palika can self-declare as clean Palika. There will be a system for validation based on minimum criteria.

16.Is there any reward system for best performance?

Palika can select best HH in the ward and best ward in the Palika. Pradesh can select best Palika in the Pradesh and Sector Ministry can select best Pradesh in the country on an annual basis. This will encourage for gradual improvement in learning from the best practices.

17.What is the cost of ODF?

People spend Rs 5000-10000/HH for construction. Agencies spend 300-5000/HH for motivation in their core working areas. But many households constructed toilets because of the mass media influence and demonstration effects. In some exceptional case, the VDC secretary did not involve any agencies for motivation.

Local Bodies/Governments spend up to 50% of the construction cost for 10-20 % HH (This is not an extra cost just sharing). There may be some mobilization cost at district and center. Study shows up to 8 times benefit which goes directly to people without discrimination, a best-allocated benefit. But the benefit of ODF is only 40 of Total sanitation.

18.Why is the ODF Declaration Ceremony at country level important?

ODF movement went up with the slogan of sanitation for health, dignity and development. Country-level ODF declaration is for recognizing the declaration of all of the 77 districts. It is for respecting those 6 million households who constructed toilet and stopped defecation in open space.

19.Why is the country so hurried for ODF declaration?

The government has already decided to declare country as ODF and move towards total sanitation through national program of (2076/77). Seeing the trend in remaining districts, it was possible. Decision made for country-level declaration also helped to activate remaining districts and remaining households (1-2%) in those districts and they did it.

20.What are the outcomes of the ODF movement?

The country as a whole became free from feces in the open spaces. People became conscious that feces going to open spaces indirectly are also a problem. Women and children and elders felt great change in terms of safety. Women, especially in Terai, felt comfortable with the toilet, did not have to control food and suffer from gastric or malnutrition. Some of the districts who declared ODF earlier reported that cases of diarrhea went down significantly. DHS survey data indicated that level of stunting fell down which is equally linked to contamination. People in many communities felt that-- ODF movement mixed the diverse community through common campaign and similar standard of toilets. Local body realized the responsibility and gained idea about one of the visions of Palika i.e. Total sanitation beyond ODF.

21.What was the role of media in the ODF movement?

Media played a great role at local level. Local media became integral part of the movement in all of the districts. They looked it as a matter of responsibility for their districts and as a pride of the districts. The informal survey indicated that people played 50% role, supporting agencies played 20% and media played 30 percent role in the overall movement. Media intensified the outcomes and its chain effect. They motivated people for the self-initiation in their own way. They communicated in their own languages based on their own culture everything understandable to people.

22.What was the role of political leaders?

Political leaders are not different from people. They are the part of community. They always addressed the demand of people to the extent possible. When the sanitation or OD was not an issue for the people, it was not an issue for them too. Hence, supporting agencies always tried to motivate the leader first. Once the leaders are motivated, movement in the local level moved with engine. Movement in the Terai started lately but moved fast because of the initiations of local leaders.

23.If people have to construct toilet by themselves why so much investment in the program?

This is the cost of education, awareness, and consciousness of need for health and dignity. If people were self-conscious, much cost could have been saved. Many VDC minimized the awareness cost and went directly to toilet construction or created awareness through mobilization of existing women group. Movement in the neighboring districts or community worked indirectly. Cost of movement in Nepal is minimum in comparison to countries striving for ODF.