March 22nd, 2013 the surroundings of Nala echoed with the following words, “We, the residents of Ugrachandi Nala VDC commit that from today onwards, we will not defecate in the open and our toilet doors will always remain unlocked for visitors!” The loud and proud commitment indicated that Ugrachandi Nala VDC of Kavre had been declared an Open Defecation Free Zone.
March 22nd, 2013 the surroundings of Nala echoed with the following words, “We, the residents of Ugrachandi Nala VDC commit that from today onwards, we will not defecate in the open and our toilet doors will always remain unlocked for visitors!” The loud and proud commitment indicated that Ugrachandi Nala VDC of Kavre had been declared an Open Defecation Free Zone. The milestone was celebrated with a massive ceremony where 1800 Nala residents and various representatives from different governmental and non-governmental organizations, community based organizations, political parties, youth clubs, female health volunteers, students and teachers came together to be a part of this “once in a lifetime” achievement.
With the inception of second phase of Nala Integrated WASH Improvement Project in the FY 2012/13 funded by Water Aid in Nepal (WAN). Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG) is also one of the major partners of the project. Tremendous amount of hard-work and perseverance was put in by Nala Water Supply and Sanitation Committee (NWSSC) and the local residents with intensive technical support from Center for Integrated Urban Development (CIUD) to help Nala transform into an Open Defecation Free Zone.
Mr. Shyam Sundar Shrestha, Chairman of NWSSC, the local users committee, highlighted that it was an ongoing process and acknowledged and commended the goliath effort of those involved. “We realize that this is not the end of the road. However, we are elated to have reached one of the landmarks in our journey on WASH. We are all proud today. It is the invariable support from all Nala residents that has brought us to this prestigious moment and we will strive to make Nala even better”, he said. For the campaign, a community led approach was opted in which support from students, youth and female volunteers was vital. Every resident of Nala VDC is relishing the newly obtained ODF tag: a tag that indicates that Nala is inevitably headed towards a better future in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector.