BHOJPUR: Lack of latrines with safety tanks in some of the households of Bhojpur has made the campaign - to declare the district an Open Defecation Free (ODF) district by 2017 - short lived.

As latrines with safety tanks were not constructed in some houses of wards 7 and 9 of Bhojpur Municipality even after continuous reminders, local authorities have decided to ask the residents one last time before taking action.

Bhojpur District Coordination Committee, Bhojpur Municipality, and other stakeholders decided in a meeting that the households not complying with the requirement to build latrines, may be excluded from receiving government facilities.

It was agreed at the district stakeholders meeting that public facilities such as electricity, drinking water will be discontinued in households that do not comply. Officials at Bhojpur Municipality have also stated that discussions will be carried out with concerned ward chairs to implement this decision.

Mayor of Bhojpur Municipality Kailash Kumar Ale, and Head of Bhojpur District Coordination Committee Laxman Khadka stated that there has been an obstruction in declaring the district as ODF free zone due to few locals. "DCC, along with everybody else, will support the decision taken by the municipality," said Khadka.

Other stakeholders have also suggested the local authorities to take required actions to ensure that the district is declared an ODF zone.