Sustainable Public Toilet Development through Public Private Partnership in Butwal Municipality

Abstract

According to the census 2001 only 14% population is living in urban area and now the rate of urbanization accelerating by 6.6% compare to the national growth rate 2.2% per year. Total urban populations grew from 4% of national population in 1971 to 13.9% in 2001 and are expected to reach 26.7% by 2021. Urbanization is increasing around three times the national population growth rate. Rapid urbanization and industrialization present new dimension to the urban infrastructure problems. It is being realized that government finance is focused on social sector and the objective of the central government is to reduce burden throughout decentralize policy. Therefore the local governments are faced with new and far more complex developmental challenges. Access of safe drinking water and sanitation services is fundamental things to improving public health. As is now widely recognized, lack of access these basic services contributes substantially to the high burden of disease, around 80% of all diseases may be attributed to water and sanitation related causes. Millennium Development Goals 2005-2015 for environmental sustainability, the target to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without access to drinking water and sanitation from the level of 1990, Nepal is likely to reach near universal access to basic drinking water which was 46% in 1990 and 81.2% in 2006. However, safe drinking water and sanitation coverage would fall far short of the target which was 6% population with the access of sanitation in 1990 and 39% have such facility in 2006. But more than 60% population has no sanitation facility. In 10th Plan it had target percentage of population with access of improved drinking water would be 85 but it achieved level was 76.5% and in sanitation the target level was 50% but it achieved just 46% with access to basic sanitation services at the end of this plan. There is wide gap between the demand and the alleviation of the infrastructure facility has leads to the degradation of urban environment and quality of life. To address high demand of infrastructure development, effective and efficient public service delivery is necessary because of rapid urbanization. The Public private partnership (PPP) is being one of the alternative developments that could address this demand to some extent with collaboration between public sector and private sector. PPP modality of development may become a bridge between both public and private sector. Field survey has been used to record data of each and every public toilet in Butwal municipality areas then fill data in observation checklist sheet. For this research, key informant survey (KIS) method has been used to get information with the stakeholders. The data are collect through key informant checklist with municipality authority as a public sector and FNCCI and other business entrepreneurs as private partner who are the potential investment partner of the public toilet development process through PPP approach. In Butwal municipality there are 10 public toilets in different location. Two public toilets have been totally closed condition which is Old Bus Park and Sothi. Three toilets are very good conditions in the terms of fee collection. They are Lumbini Bus Park public toilet, Chauraha and Haat bazaar public toilets. These toilets fee collection ratio is more than Rs 800 - 1200 per day. Remaining five public toilets are in usable condition. Durga Mandir public toilet and hospital line public toilet are being used only those who visited temple and hospital. Most of the toilets have no water availability in the cabin. Users take water in bucket while they go in long toilet. None of the toilet has the facility of soap for washing hand which may discourage user to go for long toilet so the existing condition of public toilet is poor in Butwal municipality. There are 5 employees are working in public toilets But two employees get Rs.2500/ as monthly wages. So, low salary and insecurity of income make their life more vulnerable. Local community may be the best partner for public toilet management. Among the respondent majority of the respondent prefer high level public participation in construction and management on the public toilet. All respondent agree that there should be minimize the risk factor in both context construction and management. To minimize the risk factor public, private and community should effort equal participation is necessary. These are public awareness, conflict, management, maintenance, thieves of public properties are more significant problems. All of the respondent think that such kind of problems should be address.