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A total of 39 menstrual huts have been demolished in Kanchanpur district in a recent campaign aimed at ending the harmful tradition of isolating menstruating women. Among them, nine huts were torn down this week alone.
According to the District Police Office, Bedkot Municipality Ward No. 10 led the initiative by dismantling 23 such huts, while Krishnapur Municipality Ward No. 1 removed 16. These huts, commonly known as chhaugoths, are traditionally used to seclude women and girls during menstruation, based on superstitious beliefs.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Sagar Bohara said the demolitions were carried out in the presence of local representatives, social organizations, police, and residents. The areas of Nigali and Bhenti Bazaar witnessed the highest number of demolitions.
This crackdown follows the tragic death of 28-year-old Kamala Auji, who died from a snakebite while staying in a menstrual hut in Nagal, Krishnapur Municipality-1, last month. The incident triggered widespread concern across local, district, and provincial levels.
In response, the District Administration Office issued directives to all local governments to eliminate these huts, calling them a manifestation of harmful superstitions that wrongly claim the presence of menstruating women in the household disrespects deities.
Ratan Singh Bista, chairman of Bedkot Municipality Ward No. 10, confirmed that his ward alone dismantled 23 huts. However, he expressed frustration, saying, “We demolish the menstrual huts, but the households often rebuild them.”
To address this recurring issue, Bista shared plans to conduct orientation programs to educate families on the dangers and misconceptions surrounding this practice. Mohan Basnet, chairman of Ward No. 1 in Krishnapur Municipality, noted that his community has been more proactive and aware, having already destroyed 16 such huts in the past.
Authorities and activists emphasize the urgent need to raise mass awareness against chhau, the practice of isolating menstruating women, and to challenge deep-rooted beliefs that continue to endanger lives and dignity.
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