• Social activist Bindeshwar Pathak, a pioneer in building public toilets, passed away in New Delhi on August 15. He was 80.

• Pathak was the founder of Sulabh International.

• It is a social service organisation that works to promote human rights, environmental sanitation, waste management and reforms through education.

• Pathak was known as the “Toilet Man of India” long before the Swachh Bharat Mission made toilets a part of public discourse.

A pioneer of public toilets

• Pathak was born in Rampur Baghel village in Vaishali district of Bihar.

• Pathak founded Sulabh International in 1970 with a vision to eradicate open defecation and unclean public toilets. 

• The organisation’s pioneering efforts led to the development of Sulabh toilet, a low-cost, eco-friendly solution that has revolutionised sanitation practices across the nation.

• Sulabh toilet revolutionised sanitation practices, providing millions with access to clean and dignified restroom facilities.

• One of the distinctive features of Pathak’s project lies in the fact that besides producing odour-free bio-gas, it also releases clean water rich in phosphorus and other ingredients which are important constituents of organic manure. 

• His sanitation movement ensures cleanliness and prevents greenhouse gas emission. This technology is now being extended to South Africa to bring these facilities to rural communities.

• Pathak’s vision extended beyond technology, encompassing a broader mission of eradicating the stigma associated with manual scavenging and uplifting the lives of those who had long been relegated to the fringes of society.

• Through his determined advocacy and innovative initiatives, Pathak successfully raised awareness about the importance of proper sanitation and hygiene, contributing significantly to disease prevention and improved public health. 

• Pathak also started the Sulabh initiative for widows that was meant to emancipate them from all kinds of deprivations, restrictions and humiliations.

• Pathak was conferred with Padma Bhushan in 1991.

• He was also the recipient of the Energy Globe Award, the Dubai International Award for Best Practices, the Stockholm Water Prize, the Legend of Planet award from the French senate in Paris, among others.

• In 2014, he was honoured with Sardar Patel International Award for Excellence in the field of Social Development.

• In 2016, the Mayor of New York City declared April 14, 2016 as Bindeshwar Pathak Day.

• Sulabh International was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2016.

• In 2018, Pathak was honoured with Japan’s prestigious ‘Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture and Community’.

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