Lahore: The Punjab government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Thursday launched the Open Defecation-Free Punjab Project in ten districts of the province – a news source reported. As per the publication, six of the ten districts are located in South Punjab.
The project was formally launched by Chief Minister (CM)
Usman Buzdar at the CM Secretariat. The project aims to ensure the provision of
toilets for over 125,000 families through self-help or community assistance.
Another 70,000 underprivileged families will be provided with direct assistance
for setting up the toilets.
The project also aims to reach out to more than five million people to create awareness about the need for toilets.
According to a UNICEF survey, nearly 13% of the province’s
population is still facing hardships and are forced to defecate outdoors; even
in severe weather conditions. The project has been launched in various
locations, inlcuding Rajanpur, Chiniot, D.G. Khan, Jhang, Khushab, Lodhran,
Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.
