Sulabh International founder Bindeshwar Pathak, pioneer of public sanitation in India, dies at 80

The 80-year-old complained of uneasiness during Independence Day celebrations today in the morning and was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), according to a statement by Sulabh International.

Pathak was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India for his activism in human rights, environmental sanitation, non-conventional sources of energy, and waste management through education.

President Droupadi Murmu conveyed her condolences to the family of Bindeshwar Pathak and the members of Sulabh International in a post on X.

Murmu wrote in Hindi, "The news of the demise of Mr. Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of Sulabh International, is very sad. Shri Pathak had taken a revolutionary initiative in the field of cleanliness. He was honored with many awards including Padma-Bhushan. I express my condolences to his family and members of Sulabh International."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed sorrow over the death of Pathak. Modi called Pathak’s demise a "profound loss" for the nation. He remembered Pathak as a person who devoted his life working for "societal progress and empowering the downtrodden."

"The passing away of Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak Ji is a profound loss for our nation. He was a visionary who worked extensively for societal progress and empowering the downtrodden," he said.

The Prime Minister said during his conversations with Bindeshwar Pathak, the latter's "passion towards Swachhata was always visible."

Bindeshwar Pathak founded the Sulabh International Social Service Organization In 1970 in Bihar.

Pathak dedicated his efforts to transforming people's perceptions of unsanitary toilet practices in slums, rural areas, and urban regions.

He introduced cost-effective toilet systems that have significantly improved the well-being and health of millions of individuals.

He actively aimed to eliminate the manual cleaning of human waste from bucket latrines in India.

Pathak's groundbreaking approach to sanitation has resulted in the conversion of dry latrines into two-pit pour flush latrines across 1749 towns, along with the construction of over 160,835 toilets.

Pathak's contributions have earned him the esteemed Padma Bhushan award, the third-highest civilian honor in India. In 2003, he was honored with a place on the Global 500 Roll of Honour. In 2009, he received the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize.

His accomplishments also encompass accolades such as the Energy Globe Award, the Dubai International Award for Best Practices, and the Legend of Planet award bestowed by the French senate in Paris.

In 2020, a book titled 'Namaste, Bindeshwar Pathak!' was published, detailing his exceptional work as a social innovator.

He was honoured with a day named after him in New York. In 2016, Mayor Bill De Blasio officially declared April 14 as Bindeshwar Pathak Day.