CHENNAI: One of the arterial suburban railway stations in the city, the Tambaram Sanatorium railway station in south Chennai, frequented by thousands of commuters every day, lacks even basic facilities. A leaking subway with a cracked roof, no permanent public toilet, unhygienic washbasins and taps, and broken steps are some of the key issues. Construction of a public toilet in the premises has been underway for three years now. Officials cite contract lapses to be the reason for the delay, but commuters fume over the civic apathy.
“Southern Railways often boasts the number of pay-and-use toilets they have set up in the railway station. But, the Tambaram Sanatorium railway station lacks a proper washroom and all the authorities are tight-lipped about it.
There is another pay-and-use toilet which is always locked and nobody knows where the key is,” said Dayanand Krishnan, a regular commuter who has been shooting petitions over the issue to Southern Railways and other of ficials concerned. The Railways department set up two temporary toilets, but they are too small for a person to enter.
Also, women cannot use the washrooms as all the ventilators are broken. Tambaram Sanatorium railway station was inaugurated in 1968 following repeated requests from the residents of Chitlapakkam and East Tambaram for over a decade. Its primary users are visitors of the Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine and the employees of Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), both located a stone’s throw away from the railway station. Tambaram court, Panchayat union headquarters, Taluk and revenue divisional office are also located in the Tambaram Sanatorium area, further increasing the crowd. Another important issue is the pathetic condition of the subway.
The roof is leaking and it gets flooded after light showers. “To avoid having to wade through the stagnated water after rains, commuters often cross the railway tracks, risking their lives. With the monsoon approaching, you will find more people on the tracks than the subway. The roof is cracked and with trains going right above it, it is dangerous and the authorities have turned a blind eye towards the issue despite repeated appeals,” said Shanthini Balakrishnan, a resident of Chitlapakkam. Further, the staircases to the platform are broken and the rain gutters do not have proper covers. “During peak hours, people rush and often trip on stairs or the gutter. It must be addressed immediately,” said S Allen, another commuter. When contacted, the official concerned said they have taken the complaint into account and that the repair works will begin in a week’s time.