LAHORE: WaterAid report revealed at a ceremony in connection with World Toilet Day (WTD) on Wednesday stated that Pakistan is now the seventh worst country in the world in terms of access to basic sanitation facilities, while 42 percent of the total population in Pakistan remains without access to at least basic sanitation at this time.
A staggering 79 million in Pakistan still lack a decent toilet, while 37 percent people have no system for wastewater disposal, which leads to spread of diseases due to contamination of water and contact with human waste. While calling for immediate attention to the situation, the Public Health Engineering Department in collaboration with Saaf Sehatmand Pakistan Campaign marked the World Toiled Day under the them “Wastewater” at a local hotel.
This year’s theme for World Toilet Day “Wastewater” holistically leads to bridge the gap between basic and safe sanitation. The participants stressed the need for containing, transporting, treating and disposing of human waste in a safe and sustainable way.
On this occasion, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Punjab Secretary Khurram Agha, talking with Daily Times, reiterated government’s commitment towards improving sanitation facilities and fully recognised that sustainable sanitation is a human right and a matter of dignity, equality, and safety.
HUD & PHED Secretary also presented vision of the Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and details of large-scale programmes that government of Punjab is undertaking on liquid waste management, water quality and safety, creation of open defecation free environment, promotion of hygiene behaviours and reduction of malnutrition among children and mothers”.
Additionally, it is also noted that Pakistan is making great progress on access to improved sanitation. Last year, it was the sixth best country for improving access to decent toilets, increasing coverage by 27%, becoming among few countries globally who met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) sanitation target by transforming lives of hundreds of thousands of its people” cited a report ‘Out of Order: The State of World’s Toilet’ released by WaterAid to mark World Toilet Day 2017.
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