THT Online
Kathmandu, September 26
The Department of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS), UN Shelter Programme UN-HABITAT) and local communities are working to provide total sanitation in two towns of Chitwan district.
In this connection, the Bharatpur and Ratnanagar municipalities, the DWSS and the UN- HABITAT recently signed an agreement to carry out Country Level Capacity Building of Stakeholders on Total Sanitation and Promotion of School-Led Total Sanitation programme.
The project will be implemented by DWSS in partnership with Water Supply and Sanitation Division, local non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders.
"This is a new effort to provide sanitation education in towns, which had been left unaddressed," said Dr Roshan Raj Shrestha, the chief technical advisor to UN-HABITAT, Water for Asian Cities programme.
In the $274,100 project, the DWSS will contribute $23,000, UN-HABITAT $97,600 and the remaining $153,500 will be provided by the local community.
The project will benefit 150 professionals, 1,000 students from 50 schools and 1,500 members of local child-clubs. In addition, it will help provide toilet facilities in 2,500 households.
"Our target is to provide health and hygiene services to all communities from two municipalities of Chitwan," he said.
The main objective of the programme is to take an initiative to institutionalise monitoring and evaluation system and also to make stakeholders responsible and accountable towards effective monitoring, evaluation, follow-up, reporting and documentation of health and sanitation programmes.
According to government reports, 54 per cent of the country's population still lacks latrines.
"The project has been prepared to empower the stakeholders and undertake monitoring and follow-up action with a view to promoting total sanitation for achieving Millennium Development Goals," Dr Shrestha added.
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