CHENNAI: Clogged drains, construction rubble, encroached pavements, open sewers and vacant spaces doubling up as public toilets have all resulted in chaos in Medavakkam. Medavakkam, a hub of reality, residence and market, continues to be an important market for villages such as Ponmar, Karanai, Perumbakkam, Sithalapakkam and Vengaivaasal. In 2000, Medavakkam village panchayat constructed a public toilet near the bus-stop on the Mambakkam Main Road. But it fell into disuse around 2010 and since then no attempts were made to spruce up the facility to prevent people from dirtying public spaces.
“It was useful for everyone, mostly for people waiting at the bus stop, shop owners, people working in pavement stalls and particularly for people like us,” said G Balaji, an auto driver stationed near the bus-stop on Mambakkam Main Road.“I do not think there is any problem. All that the Medavakkam village panchayat has to do is to provide water connection and ensure supply. The toilet is needed more than ever before. “Thooimai India (Swachh Bharat) schemes exist only on paper,” said Subash Chandra Bose, a Medavakkam resident and daily wage labourer.
Sanitary complex on Velachery Main Road
As part of the government’s scheme to construct integrated sanitary complexes in all village panchayats across the State in 2001, a complex was built at Medavakkam on the Velachery Main Road in 2005 at a cost of `2.5 lakh. The complex for women and children was very well received as it had bathrooms and areas to wash clothes, in addition to toilets. But for reasons unknown, it was shut down in a few months.
The facility was spruced up under the Rural Building Renovation and Maintenance Scheme, only to be shut down again. “I think it has been over three years since it was shut,” recalled Srividya Kumar, a roadside flower vendor. The complex, which is now in the shadows of a retail store, is surrounded by garbage. “It should be opened. The number of pavement vendors is on the rise. There are several women, including young students who wait at the bus stops here. Why can’t the government provide clean toilets? It is also a safety issue,” Kumar said.
Official sources said many integrated sanitary complexes in the St Thomas Mount panchayat union were in a similar state. The access to toilets in rural habitations has increased ever since they have created among the people an awareness of the need for individual household toilet under the total sanitation campaign. They said that dwindling interest among groups in the toilet upkeep and low patronage for public toilets were also the reasons for the miserable state of sanitary complexes.