Sulabh International will construct toilets in all the houses of Katra Shahadatganj village of Badaun, where two sisters were allegedly gang-raped and murdered last week while they went to relieve themselves in fields.
“Any woman defecating in the open is vulnerable and the central government must acknowledge the issue. Resources will only pour in then,” Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak said.
According to the WHO, around 65 per cent of people in villages defecate in the open in the country.
The NGO, which works in the field of low-cost sanitation, also appealed to the top business houses to adopt at least one village to end the practice of open defecation “at the earliest”.
Mr. Pathak said the NGO will start the work of building toilets.
“A team of sanitation workers and engineers from Sulabh will visit the village to start toilet construction work from tomorrow. We have ask our team to construct toilet with highest pace,” Mr. Pathak said.
“We are just setting an example by adopting this village as the issue of toilet was the main reason behind both the deaths,” he said.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coining the slogan “toilet first, temple later”, Mr. Pathak also expressed his wish to work with the government for making available toilet in every house.
“I am going to write a letter to the Prime Minister soon in this regard,” he added.
The two teenage Dalit girls, who were cousins and aged 14 and 15 years, were allegedly gang-raped and murdered and their bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in the village.
The girls went missing on May 27 and their bodies were found on May 28.
