ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: The British government has released a fund of $0.1 million for organisation of the 2nd South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN) to be held in Pakistan from 21-23 November, said a press release issued here on Thursday.

Head Department for International Development UK (DFID), Yousaf Samiullah and Resident Representative UNDP, Haoling XV, signed the cost-sharing agreement.

The funding will be utilised for raising awareness of sanitation and hygiene issues in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Environment Tahir Iqbal appreciated the support of international donor partners to increase the outreach and accelerate the progress of sanitation and hygiene work in South Asia.

The minister said to improve the environmental situation and address the poverty-environment nexus, the ministry had formulated a comprehensive National Environment Policy which was approved by the cabinet.

He said the ministry was also implementing the NEAP-SP under which many key poverty-environment related activities were being planned to be implemented under the government’s Medium Term Development Framework 2005-10 at a cost of Rs28.4 billion.

The minister said work had been initiated on preparation of the national drinking water and sanitation policy in order to provide an over-arching framework for enhancing drinking water and sanitation coverage in Pakistan.