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SANITATION SITUATION IN SLUM AREA AT THE BANK OF BISHNUMATI RIVER

IN BALAJU, KATHMANDU

Submitted to:

Parbat Dhungana

Indra Raj Bhattarai

Course facilitators, EESD 509 Community Research

Submitted By:

KabitaKunwar

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the course EESD-509, Community Research of

M.Ed. in Environment Education and Sustainable Development.

School of Education

Kathmandu University,

Balkumari, Lalitpur.

June 18, 2011


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Table of


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ACRONYMS

CBS Centre Bureau of Statics

SACOSAN South Asian Conference on Sanitation

WHO World Health Organization

NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations

ICIMOD International Committee for Integrated Mountain Development

NEWAH Nepal Water for Health

GDP Gross Domestic Product

SPSS Statistical Program for Social Science

KU Kathmandu University

SACOSAN South Asian Conference on Sanitation

UNESCO United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNICEF United Nation International Children Emergency Fund


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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the background, purpose, statement of the problem, rationale and

limitation of study.

Background

Nepal covers three main ecological zones: Mountains, Hills and lowland Terai. Kathmandu

Valley comprises of three districts, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur, together which cover

an area of 899 square kilometers. The Valley encloses the entire area of Bhaktapur district,

85% of Kathmandu district and 50% of Lalitpur district (Pant & Dongol, 2009).

The three valley districts have a total of 150 local administrative units (Village Development

Committees and Municipalities) out of which five city governments have the highest

population and economic activities (Pant & Dongol, 2009).

There is a direct linkage between the livelihood of human being and sanitation services.

Improved sanitation ultimately contributes towards nation building and prosperity by

enhancing the health status of the common mass and thus, their economic productivity.

Improved sanitation is basic human necessities and it is fundamental to health, growth and

development. Yet, a large proportion of people in Nepal live without access to this service.

The situation of the sanitation in Nepal is very worse. The national data reveals that only 43%

percent of the population use basic sanitation facility. Lack of safe drinking water supply and

sanitation facilities have resulted in worsening public health conditions, deteriorating quality of

life and increased economic costs. The high incidence of water-related diseases has contributed

significantly to low productivity in Nepal (NEWAH, 2008).


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In 1985 there were 17 squatter settlements in Kathmandu, which has now increased to 41

settlements with population of 17,000. The growth of squatters is similar in many other

important municipalities and will continue to grow (Lumanti, 2007). Balaju, Jagriti is one of

the slum area located in the Balaju ward No 16. It has around 126 households.


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Purpose

The purpose of this study is

To identify the sanitation situation in the study area. To examine the good practices of sanitation and its impact on people's health.

Research Questions

1. What is the sanitation situation in the study area?

(Observe 12 indicators of NEWAH)

2. What are the good practices among the slums to maintain sanitation situation?

(Wash hands, using water while going to toilets, drinking water, and cleanliness in

home)

Rationale of the study

Sanitation plays vital role in the human life as well as whole nation building. Healthy people

can contribute for the family, society and nation development so that it is being a concern of

the people, nation, policy makers, development practicener and etc. It also can make

environment good. Thus this study would be very much fruitful to the students, researchers to

get relevant information about the sanitation status in the slum areas and it helps to enhance the

skills to conduct social research. It would be also useful to the organizations, who are working

in this field. Furthermore, In the case of nation, findings of this research would be guidelines to

policy makers to make policies for the slum dwellers.


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Limitation of the study

Due to the lack of adequate time and financial sources, this study was limited only one slum

area of Balaju at the bank of Bishnumati River. This study was based on very small sample

size so that the findings of this study cannot be generalized in whole nation.


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CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review is the major part of the study by which I've tried to link this learning with

previous learning. The literature review is divided into three major parts:

General review

Sanitation generally refers to the provision of facilities and services for the safe disposal of

human urine and faces. Inadequate sanitation is a major cause of disease world-wide and

improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health both in

households and across communities. The word 'sanitation' also refers to the maintenance of

hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal.

The term "sanitation" can be applied to a specific aspect, concept, location, or strategy, such as:

Basic sanitation - refers to the management of human feces at the household level. Thisterminology is the indicator used to describe the target of the Millennium Development

Goal on sanitation

.On-site sanitation - the collection and treatment of waste is done where it is deposited.Examples are the use of pit latrines, septic tanks etc.

Food sanitation - refers to the hygienic measures for ensuring food safety. Environmental sanitation - the control of environmental factors that form links in

disease transmission. Subsets of this category are solid waste management, water and

wastewater treatment, industrial waste treatment and noise and pollution control.

Ecological sanitation - a concept and an approach of recycling to nature the nutrientsfrom human and animal wastes (WHO, 2009).


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A slum household is a group of individuals living under the same roof in an urban area who

lack one or more of the following five activities; Durable housing, sufficient living area,

Access to improved water, access to sanitation, secure tenure (UN Habitat, 1989)

Major characteristics of the slum in Nepal

y A slum is a cluster of houses - a slum is an area therefore, an individual house is notconsidered as a slum. Slum areas are generally found in periphery of old inner city,

which is a marginalized area from the point of view of old settlements and these days,

which is being occupied by new migrants.

y Lack of access to public services a slum generally lacks access to public services suchas sewerage, water supply, roads, street lamps etc. or even if they have them, they

provide poor service facilities.

y Over crowded area a slum generally have high density of people within the dwellingunit on the basis of space occupancy. Small houses or huts with narrow and dark street

lanes characterize slums in most of the cases.

y Low income group residents of the slum belongs to low income or economicallydeprived group such as poor tenants. In some areas, they can also be the people,

displaced by disasters or conflict.

y Socially deprived residents of the slum may also belong to socially deprived groupsuch as lower castes.

y Poor housing houses in the slum area generally used low-cost building constructionmaterials with poor hygiene and sanitation (Discussion Note, 2004).

Different national and international organizations are prepared several indicators to access the

sanitation situation. This study is based on the indicators of sanitation prepared by the

NEWAH. It is working in the water and sanitation in rural and urban areas of the Nepal.

1. All households use hygienic latrines


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2. Always keep latrines clean3. Washing hands properly with soap, ash and water at critical times (after defecating,

before eating and feeding children, before preparing food and after coming in contact

with dirt)

4. Keep food covered5. Keep drinking water covered6. Keep household environment clean7. Use slippers or shoes while going to the latrine8. Keep surrounding environment of taps, tube wells, wells and spring clean9. Keep roadside and walking trails clean10.Dump wastes in specific area11.Give attention to personal hygiene12.Make appropriate use of waste water (eg. for kitchen gardening)

Specific review

An estimated 2.6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation globally. If the current trend

continues, by 2015 there will be 2.7 billion people without access to basic sanitation. The

regions with the lowest coverage are sub-Saharan Africa (31%), southern Asia (36%) and

Oceania (53%). Underlying issues that add to the challenge in many countries include a weak

infrastructure, an inadequate human resource base and scarce resources to improve the situation

(WHO, 2010).

Studies show that improved sanitation reduces diarrhea death rates by a third. Diarrhea

is a major killer and largely preventable: it is responsible for 1.5 million deaths every year,

mostly among under-five children living in developing countries (WHO, 2010).


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UN HABITAT has estimated some 38 percent of the population from the

developing countriesLive in slums, 126 million people in Africa, 433 million in Asia

and 87 million in Latin America. At present, there are 63 slum and squatter settlements

in Kathmandu valley, and its population is growing by 25 percent per year.5 Most of

the slums and squatter settlements are located in city core areas and the river banks of

Bagamati, Bishumati and Manohara rivers without adequate water supply, basic

sanitation and proper nutrition, amongst others. As a result people in slum areas and

squatter settlements in Kathmandu have been facing high levels of health risk (Care

Nepal, 2010).

Only 39% of the Nepalese have access on sanitation facilities (UNICEF, 2005).

Seventeen million people defecate in open places every day causing loss of 4% GDP in

Nepal (Water aid Nepal, 2006). The latest UN Millennium Development Goals report

indicates that in rural areas 70% of the population does not have basic sanitation facilities,

and in urban areas the figure is 19% (United Nations/National Planning Commission,

2005). In Nepal, only 46% of the population has access to latrine against water supply

coverage of 76% (SACOSAN, 2008).

Low quality drinking water supply in the system, poor sanitation practices of the

people and unplanned, unsystematic and unsafe disposal of human wastes are causing

very serious environmental problems in Nepal. Safe disposal of human excreta alone

can save hundreds of lives in these countries. In Nepal, water borne diseases claim

15000 under five children death each year (UNICEF, 2004). And it is believed that

human waste (due to ignorance of individual and community hygiene) is the main cause

of water contamination.

According to one survey, some 800 new squatter families in the past two years

began living in public spaces in the city centre along the floodplains of the Bishnumati


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and Bagmati. In total, there are an estimated 2,800 families living in shacks, tents and

makeshift huts on land they do not own. (Nepal Times, 2003).

The sanitation status in the slum area of the Kathmandu district is very

unhygienic. The households with toilets in Kathmandu district is 92% and the

household do not have toilets using open defecation (CBS, 2001). Open defecation is

still widely practiced in most of the rural areas in Nepal. Part of the urban population

(around 10 %), mostly slum dwellers, also practice open defecation.

Policy review

The millennium development goals target 75% global sanitation coverage by 2015. The

cost to reach this milestone is estimated at us$14 billion annually through the period.

Among other health gains, sanitation is estimated to reduce diarrhea cases by 391

million worldwide each year (WHO).

Achieving the MDG targets on drinking water and sanitation by 2015 and national goal

of attaining universal coverage by 2017 is a challenging task for the nation. But it is possible

through larger political will and commitment and increased investments. Investing on water and

sanitation can prevent the annual 13,000 diarrheal deaths of children below five (UNICEF,

2005) or loss in productive labor due to illness caused by lack of access to these services,

estimated to be over 10 billion rupees per year (approximately 153 million US dollars). This is

as high as 4 percent of the national GDP (Nepal State of the Sanitation Report, 2004). Ensuring

policies are implemented into practice, scaling up proven and replicable approaches as well as

generating greater awareness through proper collaboration and networking is as important to

meet these goals in Nepal.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY


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Philosophical consideration

This Research in post positivistapproach believes the reality can be verifiable. The status

revealed from the study would be applicable to solve problem in the study area as well as in

other sanitation situation.

Methodological consideration

The nature of my study was to explore the sanitation situation in slum area at the bank of

Bishnumati river of Balaju, Kathmandu. Data has collected mostly primary and secondary

sources. Secondary data included from different sources including number of organizations

working in slums areas as well as from related literature studies.

Methods

The researcher has applied survey method to collect the data\information that were related to

households, economy, education, water supply, waste management and so on.

Survey is most commonly used in educational and in social sciences, frequently employed to

indicate prevailing conditions, not concerned to characteristics of individuals, provides

information about population character. It is statistical in nature because of gathering of data in

a particular time frame (Dhungana, 2010).

Study area

The study has conducted in Balaju, Jagriti Tole, at the Bishnumati riverside, ward N. 16,

Kathmandu. There were around 250 households and people were migrated from the out of

valley for more than 40 years ago. The reason behind to chose this area is, households are also


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more than other slum areas. Another reason was that, the area is very near to my resident so

that it has been chosen.

Study population and sample

Samples were taken as the formula of Yamane.

Sample size,

N0 = N/1+N2 (Yamane, 1967)

Where, N0= Sample size, N= total household, 2= Level of significance

We have,

N= 216, 2= 0.05

Now,

N0 = 216/1+216 (0.05)2)

=95.81

So that sample size is 96.

Data collection tool and method

The structured questionnaire has been formed based on the indicators of sanitation prepared by

NEWAH and used in the study area. Questionnaire was filled based on sample size. The

researcher has self filled the questionnaire. Observation may bring the real, fact answers so

that observation checklist has applied to observe the sanitation situation in the study area.

Data Analysis and interpretation

The MS Excel computer program has adopted for the processing of the data. All gathered

information has classified and tabulated as per the nature of the data. In these application

Graph, table, Pie chart were created to represented the findings and analysis.


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C RIV

DATA ANALYSIS

Data has been brought based on structured questionnaires and observation checklist These

responses are interpreted through table, charts, pie-charts etc.

Table 1

This table shows that, most ofthe people are residing there from more than 15 years ago. 35

households are residing there from 15 years ago and 4 are from 15 years and 1 is from 10 years

out of total sample si e. By observing the situation of their water availability, settlement,

sanitation, employment, their status is quite good.

Figure 2: Occupation Status

12%

20%

18%

50% Service

Shop

In Factory

Others

S.N Time of staying Number of people

1 5 years

2 10 years 1

3 15 years 4

4 More than 15 years 35


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The above figure depicts the occupation status of people of Slum area under study.Occupation

status of the sample observed reveal that half of the population have non-permanent and

unspecified type of Occupation. Around twenty percent population seem to work in shop.

Similarly 18% population are engaged in factory while the lowest part is involved on

permanent service. Here other kind of occupation refers to the animal Husbandry and other

works. They sell pig and earn some money. During the study period, it was observed that most

ofthe people produce domestic alcoholthatthey sell and earn money.

Figure 3: Sources of water

This figure shows the sources of water for the people in slum area. Majority ofthe population around

47% use tab as a dominant source of water. Beside that public tank are prominently used as a major

source of water. Tube wells are not seen as a source of water. Besides that unspecified source of water

likejar water usage is also high in volume. It being 20% in approximately. They use tube well water for

only washing clothes, utensils and in Garden. Sometimes they usejar sealed water.

Figure 4:Methods of water filtration

0

10

20

30

40

50

Tab public

tanker

Tube

well

Well others

46.67

33.33

20

Source of water

Source of water


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Boiling and filteration are the methods of water filtration are used by people of slum area. Filteration is

the major water filtration technique.

Figure 5: Using Toilet

This figure indicates thatthey have individual cemented toilet. Nobody goes river bank and

open places fortoilet.

Figure 6:Methods oftoilet cleaning

0

50

100

150

Boiling Filter Solar

Heating

No

methods

6.7%

93.3%

percent

Number

Open

placeRiver

banksToilet

Other


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Toilet cleaneris more use in the slum area. 77% of people use toilet cleaner such as Harpic and

17% people use Detergent as the toilet cleaner and rest of 6% dont use anytoilet cleaner and

detergent. They just use water for cleaning purpose. They found very aware to their hygiene.

They keep theirtoilet very clean.

Figure7:

Based on the questionnaire, it was found that all people of slum areause soap after come toilet

or aftertouching some waste and so on.

Figure 8: status of using slippers while going to toilet

6%

77%

17%0%

Water

Toilet cleaner

Detergent

Nothing

0

100%

0

Soap


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This figure shows that people of slum area use slippers while going to toilet.

Figure9: Types of domestic waste produce

The figures depicts that around 50 % people of slum area are producing plasticsand 33 % are

producing pealing of vegetables and 17% foods. They are more depended on market produce

things so thatthey produce plastics.

Figure 10:Methods of domestic waste

0

10

20

30

Y

N

Usingslippers

Number

50%

33%

17% Plastics

Pealing of

vegetablesTorn clothes and

papers


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This figure shows that 56 % people of slum are disposed their domestic waste byburning and

27 % use in farm and 17% dumping along the riverside. Nobody practices compost methods in

the slum area.

Figure: 11 using kitchen waste waterin kitchen garden

Figure12: Faced diseases

56%17%

7%

Domestic waste managed

Compost

burning

Municipal container

dumping along the

riverside

Use in farm

Yes

No


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The 40 % people of slum were answered thatthey are not suffered as commonly.33% people

are suffering from the diarrhoea, 20 % are from fever and 7% are from malaria. Their

surrounding environment may effectto increase diseases.

DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS

In order to achieve the objectives of this research, questionnaires were prepared based on the

NEWAH sanitation indicators. Most of the people of this slum area are residing from more

than 15 years ago. By observing the situation oftheir water availability, settlement, sanitation,

employment, their status is quite good.

Most ofthe people of slum area dont have permanentjob but they have own way of earning

such as shop, animal Husbandry and etc. They sell pig and earn some money. During the study

period, it was observed that most ofthe people produce domestic alcoholthatthey sell and earn

money so thatthey can afford for the sanitation facilities such as hygiene toilet, toilet cleaner,

filtration pot, soap and etc. Around 47 % people of slum area are depending on tab for water

but the water came from the tab is not sufficient. Water is come only twice in a week. The

around 34% people are depended on public tank. The 47% people are not benefited fromthe

public tank because they are far from it. Some people are also depended on other sources for

drinking water such as Jar sealed water. They have been applyingjust filterthe waterin filter

jar. Few people only boil the water. They dont believe that water may cause the disease or

33%

7%

20%

40%Diarrhoea

T

phoid

Fever

Malaria

None


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other health problems. They have separate toilet and they are using toilet cleaning for the

cleanliness. They are also aware to use soap after come toilet or touching any kinds of waste.

They are also using slippers. Due to the urbanization, people become depended on market

produce things. It is also found that they produce more plastics and papers so that they burn

this. Their domestic wastes such as pealing of vegetables are used in farm. They dont practice

of waste water in kitchen garden because they have already tube well water which they also use

in washing clothes and utensils. In the study area people hardly suffer from the diseases due to

the poor sanitation practices.

During the observation period, it is found that their sanitation practice is also good. They keep

their toilet, kitchen and home clean. They dont have enough drinking water but they have

water for washing clothes, for toilet use, for garden and etc because every people have tube

well. Surrounding environment, street is very clean but their back side of the settlement like

riverside and river is very dirty. Their waste management is somehow good. Like they burn

plastics and use kitchen waste (inorganic) in farm but they throw the waste water in the river.

By observing the sanitation situation of the slum area of the Bishnumati Riverbank at Balaju, it

was found that they are very conscious about their personal or individual sanitation but in they

are not pay attention to keep clean surrounding of public tab, tube well and river bank. They

haphazardly throw the wastes near by the bank. The good practice of sanitation is not bad in

the study area but that is not sufficient.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sanitation status in the slum area at the river bank of the bishnumati is good

so that they hardly visit the hospitals.


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REFERENCES

- P.Pant &Dongol, D. (2009). Kathmandu Valley profile. Kathmandu.- Status of Squatter communities along Bagmati River and its tributaries. (2008).

Kathmandu: Lumanti, Support for shelter.

- (2004). Discussion Note . Kathmandu: NGO Forum.- (2008). SACOSAN NepalCountry Paper. Kathmandu: NEWAH.- Enews. (2003, September ). Retrieved from Nepal Times : http://nepaltimes.com- Nepal position paper on sanitation . (2005-2010). Retrieved from Wateraid Nepal:

http://wateraid.org

- (2007). City Care Report. Kathmandu : Lumanti Support Group for Shelter .- (2011). Retrieved from Wateraid : http://wateraid.org- Health problems among Urban poor in selected slum along Bishnumati River in

Kathmandu. (2008). Retrieved from Care Nepal: http://carenepal.org

- (2011). Retrieved from UNICEF: http://unicef.org

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