KATHMANDU, Dec 25: Organizations working for water, sanitation and hygiene have welcomed the government move to form a separate ministry for the WASH sector even as the K P Sharma Oli-led government faces criticisms for adding new ministries during the times of crisis.
Issuing a press statement on Friday, the Federation of Drinking Water and Sanitation Users Nepal (FEDWASUN), an umbrella organization of the organizations working on WASH sector, applauded the government's decision, stating that the separate ministry could further improve the access to pure drinking water of the deprived people in the country.
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"The UN Charter and Nepal's constitution defines an access to pure drinking water, sanitation and hygiene as the fundamental rights of the people. Now, we expect the government to allocate more budget and form strong mechanisms for effective implementation," read the statement issued by Rajendra Aryal, chairperson of FEDWASUN.
Even though the government aims to ensure access to drinking water and sanitation for all households by 2017, progress so far is discouraging. Less than half of the total population drink water that is free of any germs or bacteria, according to government data.
