150 more locations in Chennai to get public toilets

CHENNAI: The city corporation is looking to strengthen the public toilet infrastructure in the city with the proposed construction of toilets in at least 150 locations, at a cost of Rs 13-22 lakh each depending on the number of seats.

According to senior corporation officials, the toilets will have a more spacious design when compared to the existing ones and will also focus on the usability factor to encourage people use public toilets. All the toilets will have separate seats for persons with disabilities.

"We now have a different design that will keep in mind usability. The toilets that we have now were built over a period of time and some of them lack wash basins and urinals, that many people prefer especially in men’s toilets. We will make sure these needs are addressed," said a senior corporation official.

The identification of the localities for the toilets was done by zonal teams based on two factors - where people tend to congregate, based on proximity to bus stops and railway stations and the nearest availability of land.

The toilets are to come up at Jawaharlal Nehru street in Koyambedu, Vadapalani bus depot, railway border salai at Mambalam, 100 feet road in Ashok Nagar, Sardar Patel road, near Saidapet court and near Gandhi Mandapam, among others. 

"Finding land parcels near the areas where people congregate and where there is need was one of the challenges in this exercise," said a corporation official. Apart from this the city corporation is also looking to demolish and reconstruct toilets that are in poor state.

Operation and maintenance of toilets in three zones to be privatised: to ensure that public toilets are maintained regularly, the city corporation is looking to privatise operation and maintenance of toilets in Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and parts of Teynampet. Senior corporation officials said that an announcement will be made shortly.