“Due to the worsening economic situation of my father, I had to leave Kathmandu and come stay here at the Buddha Secondary School Hostel, Maangri hostel to pursue my higher education for the past year. But because it is a village, please make no mistake to think that things are cheaper here than in Kathmandu. Reality is different. This place is not connected to any roads so everything has to be transported on mules. But where do I begin as that is not the only problem of living here between these mountains.
The availability of clean water is a problem partly because the system to supply water is rudimentary. The water source is 30 minutes away and we have a reserve tank that receives water directly from the source through pipes. However, because of the lack of filtration mechanism, murky water gets in the pipes and ultimately to the reserve tank rendering the water undrinkable. Also the state of the tank is not good. It lacks a cover. Every time we go and clean the tank we come across bones and sometimes even dead rats.
This is the only water supply to our hostel. Every time the water stops, we run to the source. We fix it ourselves but there is only so much we can do. These hills are sometimes unstable and prone to landslides. Also the source is left unprotected from wildlife and domestic animals. It not only blocks the source but also depletes the water in the long run. We all are aware, the water is not so safe for us to drink but the stomach gets hungry and the throat asks for water. We have no other option.
The situation at school is no different. Due to the lack of clean water we have a problem with proper sanitation. Even though there are three toilets, 2 for students and a separate one for faculty and staff, it is never clean. This is due to the lack of clean water and a proper sanitation system. The toilets are cleaned only once a week so the other days they remain in poor condition. At times, it gets so bad that we have to use the toilets in the neighborhood. And to save face of our school, we are careful not to let people know the terrible situation of the toilets.”
– Tsering Dolma, Maangri, Mugum Karmarong-8, Mugu
“आप्पाको आर्थिक अवस्था खस्किँदै गएपछि म काठमाण्डौ छोडेर यहाँको बुद्ध माध्यमिक विद्यालय, माङ्ग्रीको होस्टलमा बस्न आएँ । गएको वर्षदेखि यहीँ नै पढ्दैछु । काठमाण्डौमा भन्दा गाउँमा चिजहरू सस्तो हुन्छ भनेर नझुक्किनु होला । वास्तविकता फरक छ । यो गाउँमा बाटो आइ नसकेकोले गर्दा जे कुरा पनि खच्चडमा ल्याउनुपर्छ । हिमालको काखमा बस्दा भोग्नु पर्ने समस्या त्यति मात्रै कहाँ हो र । खै, म कहाँबाट भन्न सुरु गरुँ ।
पानी ल्याउने सिस्टम नै खराब छ यहाँ । त्यस कारणले पनि यहाँ पानीको हाहाकार भएको हो । हाम्रो पानीको मुहान पुग्न ३० मिनेट हिड्नुपर्छ । पाइपको माध्यमबाट ट्याङ्कीमा मुहानबाट सिधै पानी आउँछ । पानी फिल्टर गर्ने सिस्टम नै नभएकाले पाइपमा धमिलो पानी पसेर ट्याङ्कीसम्म आउँदा पिउनै नसकिने हुन्छ । ट्याङ्की पनि कहाँ गतिलो छ र । बिर्को त छैन । ट्याङ्की सफा गर्न जाँदा कहिले हड्डी, कहिले त मरेको मुसा पनि भेटिन्छ ।
हाम्रो होस्टलमा पानी ल्याउने विकल्प त्यही मात्रै हो । पानी आएन भने मुहानतिर नै जान्छौँ । त्यहाँ के मर्मत गर्नुपर्ने हो, सबै आफै गर्छौँ । तर सबै कुरा कहाँ बनाउन सकिन्छ र ? यहाँका पहाडहरू पहिरोको जोखिममा छन् । अनि मुहानमा पनि जंगली जनावर र गाउँका गाईवस्तुहरू पस्छन् । यसले गर्दा मुहानबाटै पानी रोकिने मात्रै होइन, दिगोरूपमा पानीको सतह पनि घट्दै जान्छ । यहाँको पानी पिउन योग्य छैन भनेर हामीलाई थाहा छ । तर के गर्नु? पेटमा भोक लागिहाल्छ, घाँटीले पानी मागिहाल्छ । हामीसँग अर्को विकल्प नै छैन ।
हाम्रै स्कुलको अवस्था पनि कहाँ फरक छ र ? सफा पानीको अभावमा सरसफाइ नै राम्रो हुँदैन । विद्यार्थीहरूको लागि दुईवटा र सरहरूको लागि एउटा गरी तीनवटा ट्वाइलेट त छन्, तर कुनै सफा छैनन् । सफा पानीको अभाव र सरसफाइको व्यवस्थापन नमिलाएकोले गर्दा त्यस्तो भएको हो । हप्तामा एकपटक मात्रै ट्वाइलेट सफा गरिन्छ अनि बाँकी दिन फेरी उस्तै फोहोर । कुनै बेला त यति नराम्रो हुन्छ कि यहाँ ट्वाइलेट प्रयोग गर्न नसकेर हामी त नजिकै छिमेकतिर जान्छौँ । अनि स्कुलको नाम खराब नहोस् भनेर हामी स्कुलको ट्वाइलेट त्यस्तो छ भनेर कसैलाई पनि सुनाउँदैनौँ ।”
– छिरिङ ढोल्मा, कर्मारोङ-8, माङ्ग्री
