CHENNAI: Bhaskaran P (49), an auto driver, was answering nature’s call just at the entrance of an e-toilet in Royapuram. When asked why he did not use the toilet, he said, “What’s the difference? It stinks worse inside and the flush does not work.’’ The story is the same for many e-toilets in Chennai, especially the ones in North Chennai.
Open-urination and the corporation covering it with bleaching powder was the common sight outside e-toilets in Zones I, II, IV, and V. When Express asked passersby in the vicinity whether they use these toilets, surprisingly, quite a few did not even know that the ‘green coloured booths’ were actually toilets.
“I have been passing via Old Jail road in Mannadi for years. But I did not know what these ‘booths’ (e-toilets near Royapuram bridge) were for,’’ says G Babu (42), a share-auto driver who does shuttle service between Tondiarpet and Beach Station.
In another location in Beach Station, about 10 rental toilets placed on a row were seen closed. ‘’The entrances to these rental toilets have become a traditional parking spot for two-wheelers for the past two months,’’ said a local traffic inspector who mans the Beach Station junction.
Lack of maintenance and awareness, and toilets being placed at inaccessible locations for the moving public, has beaten the purpose of why these toilets were introduced three years ago: to curb open-urination and improve civic hygiene. A new companion to the existing problems is water shortage the city currently is facing.
Water crisis
Since groundwater has depleted in most localities in the city, the corporation now depends on water tankers to fill up the tanks. “Everyday for one zone, about 10,000 litres of water is required approximately, to maintain the e-toilets and rental toilets, costing Rs 5000 a day,’’ said a corporation official. He said it has become infeasible to maintain these toilets for the past two months.
In 113 locations, the city currently has 221 e-toilets and 138 rental toilets.“In one month, 50 more e-toilets will be added to the existing number,’’ said the official. Guindy, Adyar, Valasaravakkam areas will have new toilets, he added.
Out of the 221 e-toilets, Zone V (Royapuram) alone has 30. However, most toilets in the zone are poorly maintained. “The e-toilets have an overhead tank with a capacity of 221 litres while the rental toilets have 1000 litre capacity tanks,’’ said the official.
“However, due to lack of water supply, the auto-flush does not work and naturally, the toilet starts to stink. Although we keep sending two staff to clear the toilets, it keeps recurring,’’ a zone V corporation official said, adding that the corporation has temporarily closed around 10 toilets due to the inadequate water supply.
Currently, to sustain the free public toilets during deficit, water is being supplemented by water tankers.
“Maintaining e-toilets would be difficult as one borewell costs Rs 1.5 lakh. It is not assured whether it will work permanently too,’’ the official said.
To one’s surprise, few e-toilets in South Chennai, near the airport, were maintained properly and in usable condition.