Too little too late? Sulabh to build toilets in Badaun, where two sisters were allegedly raped and murdered when they went to the fields to relieve themselves

Lucknow: 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".

Pathak said the NGO will start the work of building toilets from tomorrow. "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," 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", 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. While the Badaun gangrape incident has brought into focus the issue of providing toilets, the Home Ministry has asked state governments and UTs to give priority to setting up clean and secure lavatories for women police personnel at work place.

In a letter, the Ministry told the states and Union Territories to construct toilets and rest rooms for women personnel on "priority" basis in the state action plan for 2014-15 as it is a long pending basic amenity.

According to official data, there were 84,479 women police personnel, accounting for five per cent of the force in January 2012.

"At existing police stations, outposts and barracks, a provision must be made for suitable facilities for women police personnel including separate hand washing and shower facilities with adequate supply of water.

"Wherever it is not possible to provide access to permanent toilets, portable toilets need to be provided for. These must be installed securely and be provided with lockable doors, lighting and ventilation," said the letter sent by

Secretary (Border Management) in the Home Ministry Sneh Lata Kumar, five days before the Narendra Modi government took charge.

Modi too has stressed on the need to construct toilets. "Pehle shauchalaya, phir devalaya' (toilet first, temple later), Modi had said at a function organised here for the youth.