100% Safe Water Zone Declared at Three Communities of Lalitpur Municipality

5^th June 2009 – On the occasion of World Environment Day the ‘Partnership for Safe Water’ project in partnership with UN Habitat and Bottlers Nepal Limited has declared three communities Chusika, Chocheen in ward.no.11 and Lonhla: in ward.no.9 in its project site in Lalitpur as “100% Safe Water Zone”. Each household at these communities are practicing at least one household level drinking water treatment options to purify drinking water at home.

The chief guest of the ceremony was Mr. Birendra Man Shakya, Chief of Water Quality Improvement and Monitoring Section. The programme was attended by various government agencies, private sector, NGOs, INGOs and local women groups. After the inauguration programme, demonstration of different household water treatment options and art exhibition was held at Chochhen and closing ceremony was performed at Lonhla.

During the program, certificates were presented to three communities declaring them as “100% Safe Water Zone” and award was given to winners of School Level Art Competition. As the continuity of this concept more communities will be declared as Safe Water Zone after the replication of activities in other communities. The outcome of this activity is to reduce the incidence of cholera during the monsoon season compared to the number of incidence in previous year.

Epidemic of water borne diseases such as diarrhea and cholera is very common in the core communities of Lalitpur municipality. According to District Public Health Office, Lalitpur there were 297 cholera cases identified in different communities during last monsoon. Partnership for Safe Water – a unique private public partnership has been initiated by Government of Nepal, UN HABITAT, Bottlers Nepal, ENPHO and UEMS to reduce water borne diseases in several communities through the promotion of simple household water treatment options such as boiling, filtration, chlorination and SODIS.

About Bottlers Nepal Limited and Bottlers Nepal (Terai) Limited

Bottlers Nepal Limited and Bottlers Nepal (Terai) Limited are the franchised bottlers of Coca-Cola Sabco, one of the leading anchor bottlers in the Coca-Cola system operating in 12 countries across the world. In all these markets Coca-Cola Sabco operates with local partners to strengthen business interest in the respective markets. The companies refresh millions of Nepali consumers with an exciting range of sparkling soft drinks including Coca-Cola, Fanta Orange, Fanta Lemon, Sprite and Kinley Club Soda through a network of more than 50,000 outlets across the country. In addition the companies’ business operations engage approximately 50,000 people in Nepal