Youths set up smart handwashing centres

Kathmandu, April 26

Nepali youths, with the support of some non-governmental organisations, have established dozens of smart hand washing facilities in four local levels inside Kathmandu valley.

Health experts, including from the World Health Organisation, have suggested washing hands regularly with soap as a safety measure against COVID-19. But many people are afraid of using public hand washing facilities, since they have to come in contact with taps and soap containers that may contain the virus.

The smart hand washing facilities set up with the support of non-governmental organisations working in the water and sanitation sector can be used without having to touch the taps and soap container.

The system has two attached pedals to be used by foot both for the tap and soap box. The pedals can be used by tapping them with foot, which allows water to flow from the tap and stops flowing after the foot is lifted from the pedal.

Similarly, hand-washing liquid will be dispatched from the bottle of handwash at each push of the pedal.

Prakash Amatya, technical adviser of GUTHI, said “People can use the pedal to get the desired amount of hand-washing liquid and water from the tank placed on top of the system.”

Amatya, who contributed to inventing the new technology, said they had successfully placed 50 such hand washing facilities at various places of the four local bodies in Kathmandu valley.

Each hand washing facility has been set up at a cost of Rs 50,000.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 27, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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