CUDDALORE : Every other day, a region gets declared Open Defecation Free and government advertisements, in which brides walk out on grooms since his household lacks a toilet, crowd our television channels. However, all 77 households of a colony in Cuddalore municipal limits in Tamil Nadu still lack a closed enclosure for relieving oneself.A year ago, all households in Arundhathiyar Colony were provided a pre-cast concrete structure for the construction of toilets under a Central government scheme, which promised them money to meet construction costs. The structures now lay idle barring situations, where they prove good compartment space for storing utensils. This issue forces residents to openly defecate near bushes and at other secluded spots in the locality.
Located in Manjakuppam —the city that welcomes tourists from Puducherry into Cuddalore district — Arundhathiyar Colony was built and inaugurated in 1987 by the then DMK government, say locals. The primary occupation of most colony occupants is shoe-mending and they function from small shops in the vicinity. Sathya, a local resident said the concrete structures were placed at the rear premises of all houses nine months ago by officials who were brought here by the councillor. The colony-dwellers now store utensils and other materials in the concrete units as the toilet initiative saw no development since.
With the large concrete boxes becoming an ever-present monument of official apathy in every house, all residents of the narrow street express anger while speaking about them. “We do not have money to build toilets; the officials are not proceeding with the initiative. They came with large boxes, took photos with us and did not forget to charge us `200 for transporting the boxes,” said Parvathy, a resident, who said the authorities had then assured them that `2,000 would be credited to their account.
Prabhakaran, another resident, said the region lacked a proper drainage facility and there is no one to hear their complaints. A senior official from Cuddalore Municipality said, “Beneficiaries in urban areas are getting `4,000 from the state government and the same amount also from the Centre to build a toilet. Measures would soon be taken to provide Arundhathiyar colony residents with toilets and their living conditions will be improved.”