Luwingu residents urged to use pit latrines

Luwingu residents urged to use pit latrines

Luwingu, May 28, ZANIS ———- Luwingu district local authorities have urged the Kafisa and Namukolo Ward communities in Lupososhi and Lubansenshi constituencies  to consider constructing pit latrines and stop open defecation to avoid the spread of water borne diseases.

 Luwingu district Water Sanitation and Health Education Coordinator David Mbulo observed that the high number of water borne diseases recorded at the district hospital and health centres were as a result of serious open defecation by the people in the district.

Mr Mbulo said this during the official opening of a five-day training workshop for Area Development Committees and traditional rulers in Community Led Total Sanitation (CTLS) held at Luwingu skills training centre today.

He said the community should take a leading role to identify the problem affecting them instead of waiting for hand-outs from government.

Mr Mbulo said CTLS is an approach which facilitates a process of empowering local communities to stop open defecation and build latrines without the support of any external hardware subsidy.

He said the country is developing on a fast rate adding it was important that the community in the district stop open defecation and consider using hygiene toilets to avoid catching water borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and other diarrhoea diseases.

Mr Mbulo advised that people should wash their hands with soap or ash if there is no soap every time they used a toilet.

He further said CLTS concentrates on the whole community rather than on an individual family and the community should decide together how they will create a clean and hygienic environment that benefits everyone.

Mr Mbulo also advised village headmen to guide the people in their respective areas wanting to have personal boreholes to leave a space of 50 metres at least between the toilet and the intended water source.

He said the council will demolish and burry water sources found closer to the toilets.

Mr Mbulo said the council will be changing a penalty fee of one thousand KR 1,000 for those who will be found wanting.

And Senior Chieftainess Chungu disclosed that some people in her area do not feel comfortable to use pit latrines but find it easy to rush to the bush for defecation.

Chieftainess Chungu said she has on many occasions encouraged the community in her chiefdom on the need to use pit latrines and explained the benefits of using latrines but very few people have done so.

The traditional leader noted that people who do open defecation are those who are lazy and find it pleasant to do the opposite.

She however, said in her chiefdom at least people have started digging pit latrines following the sensitization done by the council in recent years.

“You can walk at least a distant of 300 metres without seeing human excreta as it used to be before the sensitization awareness was carried. Previously, Children and the elderly were doing the open defecation behind their homes especially at night,” she added.