A pregnant lady from tribal district of Maharashtra will be awarded the Swachh Shakti award by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for her tireless efforts to make her area Open Defecation Free (ODF).

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Sushila Khurkute (30), a mother of two who is seven months’ pregnant with her third child, will be bestowed with the Swachh Shakti award at an event in Gujarat on International Women’s Day, reported Mumbai Mirror.

Khurkute is a resident of Nandgaon village in Jawhar Taluka of Palghar district, which was recently in the news for malnutrition deaths.

Khurkute had dug a pit for two toilet blocks, all by herself for three continuous days.​

In February, Palghar CEO Nidhi Chowdhary​ had commended Khurkute's drive and determination to bring about proper sanitation facilities in her village and provided her with mason and necessary tools to construct the toilets.

She was also made the face of Open Defecation Free (ODF)​ programme.

Parmeshwaran Iyer, secretary of the Union ministry of drinking water and sanitation, also recognised her efforts when the news of her digging the toilet pit made rounds in February.

PM Modi had started ODF campaign around the same time as Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan​ in 2014.