Mangaluru: An eight-year-old girl’s resolution to have a toilet at home made her parents pledge their gold to build it for her.
The girl from Moodukonaje in Moodbidri taluk, about 50 km from Mangaluru decided that her family should have a toilet and put an end to defecating in the open after listening to a cleanliness awareness talk at her government primary school.
Kavya is the youngest daughter of Seena and Leela who work as daily wage labourers.
“I was inspired by the talk at school and began to pester my parents to build a toilet. My parents finally agreed to it but we’re poor and couldn’t afford to build one,” she said.
Kavya’s family which includes her 10-year-old brother depends on nearby plots for open defecation. Giving in to her pressure Kavya’s parents contacted panchayat officials to find out if there was any scheme to construct a toilet but nothing concrete happened.
With no other options, the couple finally pledged their gold ornaments and built a toilet-cum-bathroom at a cost of Rs 30,000, a week ago.
After building the toilet, the family is facing a new problem. The toilet is built on the ‘Naga Beedi’, a route used by the snake god, and the locals believe that no one should hinder its movements. If done, there could be negative consequences.
The family is looking for religious rites to prevent them from negative consequences of using the toilet. The family will be using the toilet only after performing the rituals.
Meanwhile, the family has given a fresh application to the panchayat for government grants.
