PRAKASH ADHIKARI

There are three wells in Sherwada village of Dailekh district, each for different castes: the biggest one for Majhi, middle sized for Kaami and the smallest one is for Damai. Majhi community calls the well of so-called lower castes as 'dumenaulo' while the well of Majhi community is known as 'simenaulo'.

The 90 households in Sherwada village include 2 households of Damai, 33 households of Kaami and 65 households of Majhi community. Even after the community drinking water and sanitation programs established common drinking water facility, locals continue to fetch water from their respective wells and cast-based discrimination continues to persist.

"Education might have changed the minds of few but it has made no difference to the local practice," says a local Jung Bahadur Majhi. Dhanasara Kaami, 45 years, says she has been using her own well ever since she came to the village after getting married. "I have never used other's well. We don't even go near other's well," she adds.