Sulabh founder Bindeshwar Pathak, who was known as the pioneer in building public toilets in the country, passed away following a cardiac arrest on Tuesday, August 15. He was 80. According to a source in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, Pathak was brought to the hospital at 1.15 pm and was declared dead at 1.30 pm.

According to persons close to the family, Pathak attended a flag hoisting programme on Tuesday morning. He then came back to his office and complained of uneasiness, after which he was rushed to AIIMS.

Sulabh has constructed over 1.3 million household toilets and over 50 million government toilets based on an innovative two-pit technology. Apart from construction of toilets, the organisation has been leading a movement to discourage manual cleaning of human waste.

The Indian Railways had in November 2016 joined hands with Sulabh International and appointed Bindeshwar Pathak as the brand ambassador of its Swachh Rail Mission, stepping up its efforts to keep railway premises clean. For his pioneering work, Pathak was conferred with the Padma Bhushan award by the Government of India.