CHENNAI: S Jayalakshmi came rushing out of the toilet and was on the verge of throwing up. She was not sick. It was the toilet that made her nauseous — the one located near the Triumph of Labour Statue at the Marina Beach.
Marina, the pride of Chennai, the world’s second-longest beach, and the most-visited place in the city, does not have even a single clean toilet.
It may not be shocking to Chennaiites who visit the place. But to the unfamiliar, the sight of stagnant sewage, soiled napkins and clothes strewn around is no doubt repulsive. Visitors have to cover their noses even before reaching anywhere close to the toilets, and using them is an even greater nightmare.
“How can we use it if there is no bucket? It stinks and it is nauseating to even go near it,” laments Jayalakshmi, adding that the toilets are not sufficient for the crowd present at the venue, and hence people use them in haste, making them even dirtier.
“It is quite repulsive to see sewage stagnating inside them. It will lead to infections. Pregnant women and children suffer the most as they can’t go in search of any other toilet,” says S Vallal, another visitor.
While some the less-used toilets situated inside the beach are in a relatively-better state, those located near the pavements in the most-crowded places have stagnant sewage. Ever since their maintenance contract expired last year, corporation sanitary workers have been cleaning these toilets. Though there is adequate manpower, they remain filthy.
According to a Senior Corporation Officer in Zone 9, two workers on morning and evening shifts are directed to clean each at least thrice a day. “We have enough workers for cleaning and maintaining the toilets,” he claimed.
This lack of concern for hygiene is in stark contrast with the standard that the civic body is trying to impose on vendors at the beach, who were recently forced to buy waste bins to prevent littering.
“Their condition is affecting our business,” alleges A Gajalakshmi, a fast-food vendor whose stall is near one such toilet. “People don’t come to my shop due to the stench.”
However, sanitary workers explain that there are issues beyond their control. “Sand from the beach gets silted in the drainage pipes, causing the sewage to stagnate. Though we try to clean them, we are unable to do so when it is crowded” says one.
“Sometimes, male workers have to clean ladies’ toilets, so we wait till the crowd subsides or clean it early in the morning. This causes it to remain dirty during the whole time,” he adds.
The public, too, is equally responsible for the state of affairs, adds S Sundari, who runs a tiffin stall near the beach. “Sanitary napkins and clothes are thrown everywhere, making it difficult for workers. People should be more considerate towards the sanitary workers instead of blaming them.”