Jhapa, July 13 Buddhashanti Rural Municipality has become the first rural municipality to be declared an open defecation free zone in Jhapa district. Newly elected chairperson of the municipality Ramesh Kumar Bhujel declared the municipality open defecation free today. Budhabare VDC and Kantinagar VDC were merged to form Buddhashanti Rural Municipality. Budhabare had been declared an open defecation free zone, earlier. Of the 4,656 households, more than 95 per cent have constructed latrine, according to ward Secretary Bhumi Prasad Niraula. “Those households which do not have toilets yet, are working to build latrines at the earliest,” he said. Individuals and organisations were felicitated for their contribution to making the rural municipality ODF zone.