MAHENDRANAGAR, Jan 6: Over 1,200 houses in Krishnapur Municipality of Kanchanpur have been installed with biogas plants with the help of community forest users' group.
"Beneficiaries of around 24 community forests of Krishnapur are playing a vital role in encouraging the locals to use this renewable energy," said Mahesh Datta Joshi, chairman of the Community Forest District Coordination Committee. "These forests users have been conducting environmental and sanitation activities in the locality," he added.
As most of the residents of this municipality are destitute, they cannot afford to make toilets on their own. So, the community forest users' group is helping these locals to make toilets. They are even creating awareness among the people for the proper disposal and utilization of human defecation.
These forests have been providing financial help of Rs 10,000 to each family. Locals are happy with CFUGs for their help as it has really helped them a lot to construct biogas plants and toilet simultaneously in their houses.
Only two houses among 8,049 houses of Krishnapur don't have toilets whereas dozens of tents of freed bonded Kamaiyas, freed bonded Halaiyas, flood victims, quake victims, immigrants and many others too lack toilets.
"How can we expect these people to build toilets when they are not in a state of making house for themselves," said Joshi.
Although the municipality has been declared as Open Defecation Free Zone, the reality is still a far cry from the declaration," said Chairman Joshi.
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