Citizen Connect: Encroached Corpn toilet in Pulianthope turns into cattle shelter, residents protest

The residents allege that the toilet that was built by the civic body for the over 475 families who have been residing in the locality for more than 25 years was not maintained by the Corporation. Several petitions to the officials are gathering dust without any action being taken on them. Now, it has been turned into a cattle shelter and parking lot for private vehicles, allegedly by an influential Congress functionary in the locality.

“Had the Corporation taken steps on our repeated requests, the public could have used the toilet. Currently, women and children use an open ground opposite the toilet for defecation, for which they have to wait till sunset to avoid being seen by others,” said Nandakumar, one of the residents. He added that Tangedco also fenced the toilet recently, stating that they were going to set up a transformer.

Frustrated that their requests fell on deaf ears for long, the residents resorted to protest recently, which brought traffic on the Pulianthope high road near Gandhi Nagar junction to a standstill. Police held talks with them, but in vain.

Later, Corporation officials, including the zonal officer Anantha Kumar, visited the spot and promised that all four toilets in the locality would be renovated within 10 days. In addition, the officials added, a new toilet would be built for the residents.

Following these assurances, the protesters dispersed. However, residents told DT Next that there was no sign of renovation of toilets as promised, and added that they have no other option except staging a protest again in a mass scale.

As part of the nationwide campaign, Chennai Corporation had built public toilets that needs less maintenance called Namma Toilet (our toilet). Gandhi Nagar residents want the new toilet to be built in Namma Toilet design, which cannot be encroached upon. Corporation officials were not available for their comments.