The Kandal provincial Department of Rural Development on September 8 assessed the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status of Ponhea Leu district. Four districts in the province have been formally declared as ODF by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Hoeurn Try, deputy director of the development department, called on village, commune and district authorities to educate local residents so they are aware of the importance of health, cleanness and sanitation. Authorities should encourage the building of plumbed toilets so the district can achieve ODF status, said a social media post from the provincial administration.

The administration said they inspected two communes, Chhvang and Chrey Las, in the presence of Sam Ol Chamroeun Odom, deputy governor of the district.

Try said the verification of ODF status is being conducted at the provincial level and the all districts will be inspected again shortly.

He called on village, commune and district authorities to prepare for the inspections and make sure that their locations have the necessary sanitation infrastructure to receive ODF status.

Chamroeun Odom said that the district administration will cooperate with the department to the best of its abilities, as the inspection had driven home the importance of an ODF district.

Four districts – Ang Snuol, Kandal Stung, Khsach Kandal, and Loeuk Dek – in Kandal province have received formal recognition of ODF status from the rural development ministry.

The provincial administration said that recently that the districts of Lvea Em, Koh Thom and Mok Kampoul had received an ODF status within the provincial framework. The administration was yet to request formal recognition from the ministry.

Their next priority is the verification of the ODF status of Kien Svay district and Takhmao town.