Women unite to demolish chhaugoth in Kanchanpur, Ending harmful practice

Kanchanpur: Women in Kanchanpur have united to demolish Chhaugoths following the District Administration Office’s directive urging all nine municipalities to eliminate this practice.

Kalasa Chunara of Chatahari, Vedkot Municipality-10, who has long lived in a Chhaugoth, described it as a harmful practice and pledged to stay at home during her period instead. “We had been living separately due to the superstition that gods would be angry if we did not stay apart during menstruation,” she said. “I helped demolish Chhaugoths after realizing it is unnecessary, as menstruation is a natural process in women.”

Misra Chunara, another resident, said she had been unable to abandon the practice for years. “With the district campaign against Chhaugoth, my conscience has been awakened. I will no longer send my daughter or daughter-in-law to live in a Chhaugoth,” she said.

On Friday, an interaction and awareness program on Chhaugoth was organized in Chatahari in collaboration with Sweet Nepal. Participants emphasized that Chhaugoth must be eradicated from the community’s mindset. Deputy Mayor of Vedkot Municipality, Tulsi Joshi, highlighted that living in Chhaugoths is not a Chhaupadi custom but an evil practice that must end.

Chairman of Ward No. 10, Ratan Singh Bista, noted that women in this remote Dalit and tribal settlement, near Shuklaphanta National Park, had traditionally lived in separate huts. After public awareness and interaction programs, they committed to no longer observe this practice. The demolition of Chhaugoths took place in the presence of local government officials and police.

Chief Superintendent of Police Khadka Bahadur Khatri stressed that living in Chhaugoths is illegal and anyone found enforcing or observing this practice could face up to three months in prison. Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal added that as communities become stronger, such harmful practices will not be embraced, and legal action will be taken against violators.

To support the transition, Bedkot Municipality plans to provide cots to families who demolish Chhaugoths. Mayor Bhojraj Bohara said that Chhaugoths are a social evil causing immense suffering to women, and 24 families in Ward No. 10 have already received cots after removing their huts.

The demolition campaign gained momentum following the death of 28-year-old Kamala Damai on Ashad 11, who was stabbed while living in a Chhaugoth. Municipalities across the district have since initiated programs to remove these huts and eliminate the harmful practice.