The 55,000 odd Rani Mistris (woman masons), who were trained for constructing toilets under Swaccha Bharat Mission in Jharkhand, have now started working for Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus activities which include plumbing, manufacture of sanitary pads and construction of homes under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY), officials from the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department said on Saturday.
The Rani Mistris were imparted special training in plumbing and toilet construction in a bid to provide employment to women and ensure their involvement in the toilet construction drive of the Government. According to figures with the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, these woman masons constructed more than 3.5 lakh toilets in Jharkhand during the drive.
However, after completion of the State’s target for toilet construction, these women were left with no jobs, so the Department decided to involve them in other activities in a bid to ensure employment for them. “The Rani Mistris are now working in ODF Plus activities. They are working in construction sites under PMAY scheme, repairing hand pumps at schools and also manufacturing sanitary pads,” said Secretary of Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Aradhana Patnaik.
Some of the trained Rani Mistris recently worked at construction sites for PMAY in Simdega district, added Patnaik. Since these women have already been trained for constructing toilets, they can easily work as plumbers in private or government projects.
Besides these activities, the Rani Mistris have also been trained for spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene in the interiors of the state. The manufacture of sanitary pads will also be a part of the menstrual hygiene awareness programme, sources from the department said.
“Since our ODF target is achieved, we had to involve the Rani Mistris in other productive activities that not only provided employment to them but also ensured their participation in developmental activities,” Patnaik said.
Jharkhand achieved its ODF target a year in advance. In year 2015-2016, at least 25 per cent households had personal toilets. The number increased to 46 per cent in year 2016-2017, 76 per cent in year 2017-2018 and 100 per cent in 2018-2019, a document provided by the Department said. On November 15, 2018, which is also Jharkhand’s Statehood Day, the State was declared ODF.
The Rani Mistris will also contribute in spreading awareness about water conservation in the villages here under Swajal Yojana. Under this scheme, they will construct soak pits and encourage villagers to adopt practices that help in water conservation, officials said. The Swajal scheme aims at providing clean and safe drinking water to all the households in rural India.