Clean crusader

The long struggle8212;which involved filing a series of RTI applications and writing letters to the civic establishment8212;to get clean and functional toilets for the residents of the slums finally yielded results in March 2007. Now there are two fully functional public toilets in the area and five more are being renovated. 8220;When I visited the slums in 2006 with a friend working for a Delhi-based NGO, I was shocked. There was filth all over the place, garbage was strewn around and the toilets were non-functional. The residents did not even know that government sweepers were supposed to clean up the area. Something had to be done to bring some dignity back into the lives of the slum-dwellers,8221; argues Devi.

Clueless how to bring about change, she approached the Centre For Advocacy Research CFAR for help and was able to rally support for the cause. Soon she gathered women living in the cluster to form the Mahila Pragati Manch, a platform to fight for better amenities in their area. 8220;I figured that single-handedly I would stand a lesser chance of bringing in change. So I got support from women to face the civic bodies,8221; she explains.

In 2006, she submitted an application to the government under the RTI Act against the closure of the toilets and unclean surroundings. The RTI threw up some startling revelations. 8220;It said that the toilets were alright and functional. But when we approached the MCD, they turned a deaf ear to us. So I approached CFAR again,8221; she says.

Armed with a small video recorder, Devi shot a four-minute film capturing the condition of the toilets and the surroundings. 8220;When the film was shown to the Lt Governor of Delhi, he issued orders for action to be taken at the earliest. But it was not until the intervention of the Chief Minister in March 2007 that repair work began in earnest,8221; she says. Now the people in the slums use the toilets and do not have to run to the scrubland.

Rambai, who has lived in the area for 12 years, is grateful. 8220;It is because of Didi that I have become aware of my rights. She showed us how to fight for our rights,8221; says Rambai.

Devi is not resting on her achievement. She is now trying to get ration cards issued to the residents of the slums. Ask Devi why she helps strangers and she says, 8220;It is satisfying to be able to help someone in need. My mother taught me this lesson early in childhood.8221;