National Sanitation Policy 2006.

This Pakistan National Sanitation Policy 2006 is a cross sectoral policy with the vision of creation of an open defecation free environment with safe disposal of liquid and solid waste and the promotion of health and hygiene practices in the country. The goal is to provide adequate sanitation coverage for improving the quality of life of the people of Pakistan and to provide physical environment necessary for healthy life.
The Policy considers that Sanitation is one of the basic necessities, which contributes to human dignity and quality of life and is an essential pre-requisite for success in the fight against poverty, hunger, child deaths, gender inequality and women empowerment.
Many aspects of the sustainable provision of sanitation services are linked with the sustainable management of water, waste, environment, health, and other related sectors and therefore several objectives of the Policy impact all of the areas above. The main objectives of the Policy are: i. To ensure an open defecation free environment; the safe disposal of liquid, solid, municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes; and the promotion of health and hygiene practices. ii. To link and integrate sanitation programmes with city and regional planning policies, health, environment, housing and education. iii. To facilitate access of all citizens to basic level of services in sanitation including the installation of sanitary latrines in each house-hold, in rural and urban areas, schools, bus stations and important public places and also community latrines in densely populated areas. iv. To promote Community Lead Total Sanitation (CLTS). v. To develop guidelines for the evolution of an effective institutional and financial framework. vi. To enhance capacity building of government agencies and other stake-holders at all levels for better sanitation, particularly avoiding incidents of water borne diseases. Policy measures for rural sanitation include: The use of wastewater for agricultural purposes from individual households in low density villages will be encouraged and designs for its collection and use will be provided to households. Domestic wastewater treatment technologies will be adopted that provide for recovery and reuse of water.t resources. The standards for effluent to be used for agricultural purposes will be developed by the government.
The Policy are targeted to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets whereby the proportion of people without sustainable access to improved sanitation will be reduced by half by 2015 and 100 per cent population will be served by 2025 with improved sanitation. A programme for motivation, technical advice and subsidy (through supply of materials) will be initiated in selected Town/Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) and Union Councils (UCs) for the construction of ventilated pit latrines and safe disposal of waste water. Such TMAs and UCs will be transformed, within a year, into training centres for local government staff, elected representatives and community activists, technicians and leaders from other tehsils and UCs. The motivation programme for latrines will also educate people on the health problems associated with handling of animal dung and the health hazards of keeping animals within homes. Alternatives to the present conditions will be developed in consultation with the livestock departments. It shall be ensured that all sanitation related policies, projects and programmes are gendersensitive and promote empowerment of women. In this respect the relevant federal and provincial government agencies will address the sanitation issues, which impact women more adversely, such as lack of access to water supply and sanitation facilities.
Regarding to sanitation for disaster areas, the federal government will develop the principles to prevent threats of pollution and risks to water bodies and a underground water for providing environmentally safe sanitation to communities and settlements affected by disaster, such as earthquakes and floods.etc. Based on these principles, the provincial and city district governments will prepare policy and develop and implement a natural disaster management strategy and plan. Effective coordination will be established with the disaster management institutions.
Regarding governance, to ensure effective coordination of policy implementation and to oversee the progress, a National Sanitation Policy Implementation Committee comprising representatives of the public and private sector as well as Civil Society Organizations will be established at the federal level. Similarly all relevant Provincial Governments will also establish special cells to coordinate and monitor implementation of the Policy. Monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Policy will be done in coordination with the communities.