Kathmandu: On the occasion of World Environment Day 2009, three communities – Chhusika, Chochen and Lonhala of Lalitpur district— were declared as the Safe Water Zones for the first time in Nepal under the "Partnership for Safe Water" campaign. Waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea were common in these communities in the past years. After the launching of "Partnership for Safe Water" campaign, public awareness on safe drinking water has been found remarkably increased in these communities. Nowadays, every household in the community practices household drinking water disinfection techniques.

Partnership for Safe Water – a unique private public partnership has been initiated by Government of Nepal, UN HABITAT, Bottlers’ Nepal, Environment and Public Health Organization and Urban Environment Management Society to reduce water borne diseases through the promotion of simple household water treatment options.
According to District Public Health Office, Lalitpur; there were 297 cholera cases identified in different communities during last monsoon. Therefore, "Partnership for Safe Water" Campaign initiated its activities in the communities of Lalitpur, which widely disseminated the information of safe drinking water at community level in Lalitpur and promoted simple household water treatment options such as boiling, filtration, chlorination and SODIS.

Remarking the declaration programme, Chief of Water Quality Improvement and Monitoring Section of Department of Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS) Mr. Birendra Man Shakya appreciated the public initiatives to improve drinking water quality at household level. He opined that waterborne diseases caused by consumption of unsafe drinking water could be prevented at national level if the practices implemented by the locals in Lalitpur were replicated in other communities. Mr. Shakya gave away certificates to the three communities.
At the programme, Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha, Chief Technical Advisor, UN-HABITAT stressed on importance of public participation for the successful implementation of the programme initiated by governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Remembering the gone days, when waterborne diseases were frequently seen in the community, Mr. Purna Bahadur Maharjan of Lonhala Community told that the campaign played pivotal role to raise public awareness on safe drinking water. He requested all community members to continue their habit of treating drinking water at their houses. The local women of Lonhala Community exhibited simple household drinking water disinfection technologies including boiling, filtration, chlorination and SODIS on the roadside of their community to disseminate the information in other communities.

An Inter-School Art Competition on the theme "Waterborne Diseases and its preventive measures" had also been organized on the same occasion. Avinash Bardewa of Shree Shanti Vidyashram won the first prize, where as Bibhushan Rai of Adarsh Sharal Secondary School and Sona Lama of Lalit Bikash Primary School won second and third prize respectively. Maya Tamang of Shree Shanti Vidyashram got the consolation prize. Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha gave away prize and certificate to the winners of the competition.

Source: GUTHI, Kantipur; Nepal Samacharpatra, June 7, 2009