Sulabh honours widow for donating land for toilets

Bahraich (UP), Nov 29: A widow who donated her small piece of land for building a

in a Bahraich village was today announced as Sulabh International's brand ambassador in the district and sanitation motivator of the region.

The NGO, working in the field of sanitation, also announced a Rs two lakh cash prize and Rs 10,000 monthly dole for Manorani Yadav, who works as a daily wager.

Yadav had donated her only piece of land for constructing public toilet complex in Bhabhanipur village of the district in order to ensure proper sanitation facilities for women folk, Sulabh's founder Bindeshwari Pathak told reporters here. "She has set an example worth emulating," Pathak said. "Yadav donated whatever land she possessed for construction of eight public toilets after government agencies failed to give land to district administration," she said.

Yadav, the mother of six children, first mobilised all the women in her village to construct toilets and then led these women to meet District Magistrate Kinjal Singh and requested to construct public toilet complex in her village.

"The DM took this issue seriously and arranged funds to build eight toilets in the village. But nobody came forward to give land for the purpose. Even some government agencies including Forest Department did not show much enthusiasm. "Seeing no help coming, Manorani offered her land to construct toilets for the villagers," an official from the NGO said.

PTI