Toilet clinic: Bihar village's women-led initiative restores sanitation facility, dignity

New Delhi: In a small village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, a unique clinic led by women is healing lives in an unexpected way without checking pulses or prescribing pills.

The 'Toilet Clinic' in Bishanpur Baghnagari is the first of its kind in the state, offering repair and restoration services for broken or disused toilets. Operated entirely by local women trained as masons and sanitation workers, the clinic is restoring both sanitation and dignity in the village.

The facility was set up in early 2024 under the leadership of Mukhiya Babita Kumari, after it was found that nearly 190 of the 1,269 toilets built under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen had fallen into disrepair -- unused, ignored, and in some cases, abandoned altogether.

The clinic offers affordable and repair services through local women's self-help groups supported by the Jeevika Livelihoods Mission.

Consumables like tiles or taps are billed as per actual use. The women labourers ensure that families do not defecate in the open.

"When a toilet breaks, people feel ashamed to talk about it. But silence only deepens the problem. I wanted a place where repairs could be made without shame where women could lead the solution," Babita said.

"Agar shauchalay toot gaya, toh sammaan bhi toot jaata hai. Hamne socha, kyu na izzat ki marammat bhi shuru ho? (When a toilet breaks, one's dignity also suffers damage. So we thought why not repair both)," she told PTI over phone.

Elected in 2021, Babita's story could have easily followed a familiar script -- one where male relatives take over the reins, but when her husband stepped aside to support her leadership, she seized the opportunity not just to govern, but to reimagine what a panchayat can look like when women lead from the front.

Supported by the District Water and Sanitation Committee along with the UNICEF, and backed by women’s self-help groups under the Jeevika Livelihoods Mission, the clinic has restored over 15 toilets within months.

Labour is provided by trained women and materials billed as per use, making the service both affordable and empowering.

"We were proud of being an open defecation free village, but when toilets broke, people silently went back to the fields. Nobody wanted to talk about it," Babita said.

"Toilets are not just about sanitation. They are about self-respect, especially for women," she said, adding that real development can only take place if daughters feel safe inside their homes.

Beyond sanitation, Babita also tackled the problem of water scarcity, incorporating well rejuvenation into the village plan. Among the 27 dried-up wells, 17 were revived with tree plantations adding to improved groundwater recharge.

Under her leadership, tap water coverage rose from 60 per cent to more than 95 per cent.

Tap water will only be available if there's is enough ground water, she noted.

In her first Gram Sabha meeting, Babita noticed the absence of women. So, she asked the men, gently but firmly: "When you elected a woman village head, why are other women silent?" That one question changed everything.

Today, women's voices are central to village decisions with topics ranging from domestic violence to drainage plans. Babita introduced women-only Gram Sabhas before the official ones, offering a safe space to speak.

She helped survivors of violence navigate police complaints and panchayat systems. Six of her thirteen sanitation workers are now women, many of them first-time earners.

Rekha Devi, a worker said, "I no longer depend on anyone. My in-laws now include me in household decisions. I want to educate my daughter so she can earn like me when she grows up."

Through door-to-door visits, puppet shows, and candle marches during 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaigns, Babita turned sanitation into a community affair.

By mid-2024, nearly 2,000 households had begun paying Rs 30 monthly for waste services, generating more than Rs 50,000 each month.

The Panchayat introduced nine composting models -- tailored, branded, and now sold -- at Rs 15 per kg. Monthly revenue from compost sales touches Rs 20,000.

In 2023, Bishanpur Baghnagari was declared Muzaffarpur’s first model panchayat. Babita's leadership earned her the Yashasvi Mukhiya award and a national best practice recognition under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen.

"Whoever comes in at any time with any problem -- whether its an issue regarding toilets or a domestic dispute -- I never say no to them. Panchayat should not just be an office, it should offer support to the people who reach out," she said.

Babita Kumari's Toilet Clinics are more than just sanitation hubs. They are symbols of what's possible when empathy meets leadership, and when women are not just beneficiaries but architects of development.

As Babita puts it, "Change doesn't happen in a day. But when every home, every woman becomes a part of it that's when a true revolution begins".