Nepal’s open defecation-free status is a joke without ‘dignifying’ public toilets along highways

When Nepal was announced to be the first open defecation-free country in South Asia two years ago, it was a matter of pride and appreciation on a global scale. To achieve this status, Nepal also rapidly set up public toilets for people to use. But, from 2019 to 2021, there are questions popping from everywhere if the country really deserves the status as there are not sufficient public toilets anywhere, even in the capital city of Kathmandu. Even if there are several public toilets along the highways of the country, they are not usable in a dignified way .

As the world marks yet another World Toilet Day today, stakeholders are stating maybe it is time for the country to rethink its position as an open defecation-free country with the availability of insufficient public toilets with insufficient quality standards.