Inspired by Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Firozabad sisters create their own toilets

AGRA: Despite being ridiculed and mocked at by friends and villagers, two sisters of Firozabad districts are constructing their own toilet after getting motivated by an awareness programme on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. When they found that that their village was not listed for the government financial aid under the project, the duo broke their piggy bank and used its money to buy instruments to dig a pit for toilet.
Identified as Parul and Kirti, residents of Gadi Ranchauri village of Narkhi block, the intermediate students have dug up nearly ten feet pit in the backyard of their home to develop a toilet.The duo belong to poor background, with a family income of less than Rs 1,000 a month.
Speaking to TOI, elder sister Parul said, “It’s an embarrassing situation for us to go to the fields to attend to the nature’s call every day. A week back while I was returning home along with my sister, we came across an awareness programme on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), where the speaker was sharing details on the importance of cleanness and hygiene. We were excited when the speaker said that the government provides Rs 12,000 to poor families that are not capable to develop their own toilet and hence were registering their names along with their village.”
“But when I approached the authorities to register our names for the same financial aid to develop toilet, the local block coordinator for SWA said that our village is yet to be listed for the scheme and we have to wait. This disappointed us and we decided to construct a toilet without the help of the government, as we don’t want to defecate in the open anymore to embarrass ourselves,” she said. “I broke the piggy bank in which we had saved Rs 700 and brought instruments to dig the pit,” she said.
She added further, “Watching us (sisters) digging pit for toilet, our friends and villagers ridiculed and mocked at our efforts, but we will build toilet no matter who thinks what.”
Parul’s father Omprakash died several years back due to an infection caused by unhygienic conditions. Now her mother Suman Devi does odd jobs to earn bread for the family. Recently, Parul gave her board exams for intermediate and wishes to become teacher, while her younger sister Kirti wants to follow in the footsteps of her elder sister.
Overwhelmed by their endeavor to earn self respect and construct a toilet, village Pradhan Jasuda Devi and block coordinator for SBA Dayashankar have come forward to help.
Speaking to TOI, Dayashankar said, “I’m trying to speed up the process for the registration of Parul’s family name for the financial aid to develop toilet. By the end of May, we expect to cover their Gadi Ranchauri village in the scheme.”
Jasuda Devi's husband Devendar Pal said, “We have requested the administration to provide monetary aid to two sisters to develop toilet.”