19 November 2017

The program started with an early morning awareness rally (from 6:30 am to 8:00 am) around Bhirkuti Mandap, Kathmandu, which was coordinated by professors and volunteering students. The formal event inside KU premises started at 10:00am in presence of Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha, Ms. Bimala Sharma (Deputy Mayor, Dhulikhel Municipality), Prof. Dr. Kanhaiya Jha (Associate Dean, School of Science, KU); Mr. Surya Man Shakya, Visiting Professor at KU; Dr. Murali Gopal Ranjitkar (WASH Specialist), and faculties, staff and students of DESE and other Departments.

The inauguration ceremony was addressed by the Vice Chancellor. He motivated the audience by highlighting the status of toilets in Kathmandu University and the seriousness of the issues with toilets in the University. He suggested that KU should set an example with its students taking initiatives by building new ideas rather than following the old ones.

After the opening remarks from the professors and guests, Dr. Nawa Raj Khatiwada, Associate Professor at DESE, guided the audience and guests to a tour of toilets in the KU premises. The Toilet Tour included assessment of the selected toilets by focusing on the number of male/female toilets, their cleanliness, availability of water/soap/tissue paper/drier, ventilation, presence and functionality of doors, presence of dustbin, floor and walls, odour management, and capacity. Catering to the same number of male and female students, while there were male toilets that 20 males could use at the same time, the female toilets could be used by only 4 females at the same time.

The opening ceremony was then followed by Photo Exhibition, Poster Presentation and Essay competitions. Several pictures and posters depicting the conditions of toilets in different parts of Nepal were displayed for evaluation. Students from different schools competed in the Essay competition.

In 2013, the UN General Assembly officially declared November 19 as World Toilet Day. Celebration of the Day is all about inspiring actions to tackle the global sanitation crisis.