LALITPUR: A two-month long Safe Water and Health Campaign with an objective to increase awareness among the public on controlling water induced diseases like diarrhea and cholera started in Kathmandu Valley on Thursday.

The campaign will set up around 80 booths in different parts of the valley to provide information to the public on safe drinking water and sanitation. Under the campaign, volunteers will visit every house in the capital to provide information to the public about water purification methods along with liquid chlorine for water purification.

The campaign under the coordination of Guthi Nepal is jointly supported by Water Supply Department, Kathmandu Upatakya Khanepani Limited, Environment and Public Health Organisation, NGO Forum for Urban Water and Sanitation and UN-Habitat. Suman Sharma, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works said that the campaign would help to create awareness among people and to control waterborne diseases.

Director of Guthi Nepal Anil Sthapit said that the campaign would benefit the public as methods of water purification and protection from waterborne diseases would be provided to them on their doorsteps.

Similarly an inter-school water race competition was organised today in Kathmandu to mark Sithinakha, a traditional festival celebrated by cleaning water resources. Various organisations working in water and sanitation sector has been celebrating this day as National Sanitation and Water Conservation Day since 2005.

Sabita Khadka from Martyr Shukra Secondary School, Reena Shrestha and Davika Nath from Shree Mahakal Jana Jagriti Secondary School came first, second and third respectively in the competition among girls while Shanta Ram Rai from Padmodaya Higher Secondary School, Rajesh Chaulagain from Martyr Shukra Secondary School, Roshan Kumar from Annapurna Higher Secondary School bagged first, second and third prize respectively among the boys.

Awarding the prizes to the winners, CA member Nabindra Raj Joshi said that people would be fighting for water in the future due to increasing water crisis through out the world.