KATHMANDU: Nepal has been declared an open defecation-free (ODF) country. Prime Minister K P Oli announced this amid a function in the capital today making Nepal the first South Asian country to be officially recognized ODF.
This means that every household in Nepal now has access to the toilet.
This has been a milestone,” PM Oli said saying that Nepal has now fulfilled its commitments made at international forums at different times.”
The program organized by Ministry of Water Supply in Kathmandu was attended by Chief Ministers of all seven provinces and officials of the district and local levels.
Monday’s declaration was made in recognition to all the 753 local units of 77 districts which had earlier declared themselves ODF recently.
The campaign to declare open defecation-free local levels and districts had begun in 2011. Even though the government had planned to declare the country ODF by 2017, it was delayed owing to some circumstances.
A total of 5 million and 660,214 toilets have been constructed throughout the country after the government initiated the campaign in 2011.
However, during that time over 9 million people in the country did not have sanitation facilities, the World Bank said.
Meanwhile, on the occasion, PM Oli also assured that Nepal would achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within its stipulated deadline of 2030.
The Prime Minister said that the declaration catapulted Nepal one step higher in terms of civilization adding that the government was treading on the path taking into account realization of the goals including elevating the country from below the poverty line, graduating Nepal from a least developed country to the developed one and eliminating illiteracy
He also stated that the declaration would support to promote the health of the people, reduction in infection of communicable disease, reduction in medication expenses, among others.
Likewise, Minister for Water Supply Beena Magar stated that Nepal has been moving towards ensuring basic sanitation coverage to all the people.
According to her, a total of 5.6 million toilets were built across the country.
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