Retrieved from: One World
“Amidst international development agency – WaterAid – calling upon the South Asian region to invest more in sanitation to save the lives of over 2.8 million children under the age of five, the Sri Lankan Government said the island had achieved the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation that targeted a coverage of 84.5 percent by 2015, three years ahead.
“Minister of Water Supply and Drainage Dinesh Gunawardena said that Sri Lanka had a total coverage in water and sanitation of 85.5 percent in 2011 and had set its own target to reach 100 percent by 2020.
“In an interview with the Sunday Observer last Friday, just two days prior to Sri Lanka hosting the fourth South Asian Conference on Water and Sanitation (SACOSAN) in Colombo, from April 4 to 8, the Minister said Sri Lanka would be the most progressive story of the region committed to provide better water and sanitation to all Sri Lankans.
“While Sri Lanka tops the other countries in the region with improved sanitation facilities and safe drinking water, many in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Bhutan die and suffer due to water and sanitation-related health problems.
“According to WaterAid, the situation in the region is still shocking despite the commitments made at the previous SACOSAN conferences.
“As 500 experts from SAARC countries gather in Colombo at SACOSAN IV to review the commitments set out in the Delhi Declaration in 2008, WaterAid has warned that all countries in South Asia except the Maldives and Sri Lanka are currently off track to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve the proportion of people currently living without access to a toilet.”
Read more: Sunday Observer
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