Kathmandu, November 21  The government’s aim of declaring all districts open defecation free zone by the end of 2017 seems quite unrealistic as it has not even been able to declare Kathmandu an ODF zone. So far, only 42 districts have been declared ODF zone and the Department of Water Supply and Sewerage has been planning to declare Kathmandu an ODF district in the 4th week of December, 2017. Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya has pledged to rid Kathmandu metropolis of dust and pollution. He has also promised to build public toilets in the city. Laying the foundation stone of a bio-gas plant recently, he pledged to build 300 more public toilets in Kathmandu. “It’s been difficult to keep public toilets clean due to lack of enough budget. Bio-gas can help generate some income for the management of public toilets,” he said. According to the Malina Baidhya, senior divisional engineer at DWSS, seven more districts will be declared ODF zone by the end of this year. “Ninety-three per cent people in the country have started using toilets,” she said, adding, “Land management issues and poverty are the two major factors which have delayed the process of declaring the country an open defecation free zone.”