100 DAYS CAMPAIGN TO MAKE KASKI FREE OF OPEN DEFECATION

100 DAYS CAMPAIGN TO MAKE KASKI FREE OF OPEN DEFECATION

Tuesday, 07 December 2010

By: Dhana Basnet

Pokhara: District Development Committee Kaski has launched 100-day campaign to declare Kaski the country’s first district to be free of open defecation within the end of the current Nepali year. Under the campaign, toilet construction is underway in all the VDCs to make the district free of open defecation.

"We have already launched toilet construction campaign in 20 VDCs of the district," said Local Development Officer Guru Prasad Subedi, adding, "We will declare the district free of open defecation after the completion of toilet construction. We have aimed to complete toilet construction by the end of the campaign." Different government and non-government organizations including SEED Foundation Nepal, Shelter for Humanity, Annapurna Conservation Area Project have provided financial assistance to construct toilets. According to Founder Chairman of SEED Nepal Damodar Bhakta Thapa, toilet construction is underway in the VDCs adjoining the Lekhnath municipality. "Some VDCs adjoining the Lekhnath municipality have already been declared free of open defecation," said Thapa, adding, "We have begun toilet construction in the remaining VDCs with an objective to promote rural tourism."

According to District Development Committee, construction of 70,000 out of 95,000 toilets in Kaski is complete. The committee has aimed to complete the construction of remaining 25,000 toilets within the end of the current Nepali calendar. Local Development Officer Guru Prasad Subedi told that the urban areas of Pokhara need additional 5000 toilets. "It is more challenging to launch toilet construction campaign in the urban areas compared to the rural areas," he complains. He urged the government and non-government organizations working in the district to assist the campaign of making Kaski a model district in the country.

Source: Nepal Samacharpatra, December 6, 2010 via ngoforum.net