LUCKNOW: An 85-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh sold off her five goats to have a toilet built for her 110-year-old mother-in-law.
Chandana of Anantpur village in rural Kanpur district is now going to be felicitated by the authorities who see her has an ambassador for the central government’s campaign to improve sanitation in rural India. The woman will receive an ODF (Open Defecation Free) beneficiary cheque next week. Kanpur Dehat chief development officer (CDO) Krishna Kumar Gupta said officials will visit the village to felicitate Chandana to give her an ODF beneficiary cheque next week.
Chandana said she decided to have a toilet built after her mother-in-law Mayadevi fractured her leg. “One day my mother-in-law had gone to answer nature’s call and fell down and broke her leg. I decided to do something about it,” said the woman.
"Life is tough in villages,” she added.
Chandana said raising the money for the toilet was difficult. She first exhausted all her savings and then decided to sell five of her goats for Rs 18,000.
Her example has encouraged other residents of Anantpur to build individual sanitation latrines in their houses. Even people of neighbouring villages are visiting her now.
"It’s a lesson for us. Chandana has set an example for us," said Shobha Patel, a native of Malasa block.
The residents of Anantpur now demand that the government should bring the ODF scheme to the village. ”We have heard a lot about the scheme but it is yet to reach our village,” said Bhanu Pratap.