One-Day Disaster and WASH Orientation Held in Lahan Schools

One-Day Orientation on Hygiene and Disaster Risk Reduction Held in Lahan Community Schools

Lahan | 2082 Magh 8

A one-day orientation program has been completed among teachers and students in community schools of Lahan Municipality, aiming to reduce disaster risks through improved sanitation and hygiene-related practices.

Under the leadership of Dalit Janakalyan, with support from Lahan Municipality and partnership with the Vikan Project, a drinking water and sanitation project has been implemented in community schools located in underprivileged settlements of the municipality. Under the project, drinking water tanks and well-managed toilets have been constructed in schools.

Kabindra Pudasaini, Project Chief of the Vikan Project, stated that schools could not achieve the “three-star” recognition because a disaster management-related program was missing among the 10 standards provided to schools under the drinking water and sanitation program. He explained that the orientation was conducted because school-level preparedness is necessary for disasters such as floods, landslides, and earthquakes.

Pappu Yadav, Headteacher of Shree Janata Basic School, Daulatpur (Lahan-17), said the orientation supported the school not only in drinking water and sanitation but also in making the school more organised and safer for disaster risk reduction. He described it as an important achievement for the school.

Lahan Municipality Mayor Mahesh Prasad Chaudhary said that, to ensure returns from investments made in improving and developing community schools, programs ranging from sanitation to disaster management are being implemented under the Vikan Project with the support of WaterAid.

Facilitator Namrata Bhatt informed that schools were also provided with first-aid methods and materials during the orientation program. She added that the remaining work would be completed before 2084 to help Lahan’s community schools receive the three-star mark.

The orientation program included disaster risk reduction training delivered by Lahan Municipality sanitation coordinator Maheshwari Chaudhary, and trainers Rakesh Lohani, Rupnarayan Yadav, and Madhav Bista.