Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: J&K's 87-year-old woman builds a toilet with her hands

In a move to make her village in Jammu and Kashmir open-defecation free, an 87-year-old woman from Udampur has set an example for others in India by herself building a toilet near her house. The old woman said she is happy that more people are taking a step forward to build toilets in their houses.

"I'm happy that more & more people are coming forward now to build toilets in their houses", the woman was quoted by ANI. The old woman Rakkhi goes to fields to defecate for years, decided to construct a toilet in her village in a move to make her village open-defecation free. As she is not that financially to her labourers to do the job, so she started doing it her own. She says that she wants to see her village open defecation free and has been hugely inspired to do so after a series of awareness campaigns in her village. While speaking to ANI, Rakki said that she did not know about the ill-effects of defecating in the open.

"I want everyone to use a toilet as defecating in open gives birth to many kinds of diseases," she said. "My son made the mud for my toilet after which I levelled the bricks and did the masonry work myself. Within 7 days my toilet will be completed," she added. Deputy Commissioner Udhampur praised her work and said, "It is time for people to change their traditional mindset. I was shocked to know that an 87-year-old woman built the toilet herself without any help. I salute the spirit of the woman and everyone should learn a lesson from her." The Deputy Commissioner also said that every possible help will be provided to the lady.