COIMBATORE:Over 7,000 people defecate in the open in Coimbatore city limits, according to the Swachh Bharat survey conducted by the Corporation's sanitary inspectors.
There are 560 families without toilets in their houses in Kuniyamuthur. The numbers of some other areas are: Kalapatti (377), Sarada Mill Road (350), Chokkampudur (333), Podanur (280), Kurichi (270) and Vilankurichi (221).
The public toilets in these areas are in a very bad state with the septic tanks overflowing as the Corporation does not get them cleaned in time.
However, these figures may be an underestimate as due to the shortage of time, the Swachh Bharat survey was done in haste. The officials said the survey would continue till the Swachh Bharat agenda is fully achieved.
“The time we got was too short to complete the survey. So we were in a hurry. We selected some areas and conducted a random survey. A detailed survey will give a more correct picture,” said a sanitary inspector on condition of anonymity.
As per the Swachh Bharat programme, micro bio-tank toilets - which need only 16 sq ft - will be installed in congested houses. The installation cost of will not exceed Rs 12,000. It can be installed through a Swachh Bharat scheme for which the Centre will contribute Rs 4,000 and the State the rest of the money.
“If there is more space, we go for bigger toilets,” said P Paramasivam, Nodal Officer of Swachh Bharat Mission in Coimbatore city.
“We have been receiving applications for toilets from across the city. Once we receive an application, our engineer visits the house to check the space available, nature of soil, what kind of toilet suits the place, etc. The applications are forwarded to the State government. Once funds are sanctioned, construction will not be delayed. A task force will be formed to monitor the implementation,” the nodal officer added.